Will You Love Me Tomorrow
by CiaraShayee
Summary: When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it. M for language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there!  
This is a little different from my other projects, but I wanted  
to write something to get into the Christmas spirit and after seeing  
a picture - which I'll share on my Facebook page - I couldn't resist  
writing this. Like _Neapolitan_ , if you're reading that, it's away from the  
usual pairing, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.**

 **Big loves to my very good friend** annaharding **for looking  
this over for me and always being willing to listen to my  
ramblings when I get a new idea or decide to radically change  
plot halfway through a chapter. I don't know what I'd do without  
you!**

 **I'll warn you now -** **THIS IS A SLOW BURNER AND WILL UNRAVEL AS  
WE GO ALONG! THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS AS WE GO, BUT I PROMISE  
THEY'LL BE ANSWERED IN DUE COURSE.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost,  
sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?'  
A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least  
expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2005**_

Frank Sinatra's dulcet tones serenaded the few men and the single woman in the diner.

The woman, a petite brunette, sung along softly as she wiped down the counter, lost in her own little world.

One of the men, a long-haired trucker dressed in worn jeans and a ratty plaid shirt, idly swirled the last dregs of his coffee in the bottom of his faded red mug. His grey eyes were trained on the diner girl's hips as she innocently swayed to Ave Maria. Her form-fitting navy slacks and white blouse, though ankle-length and long-sleeved, left little to the imagination – and James had an active imagination, especially after being on the road in his truck with little to no human interaction for over two weeks. He hated the winter. The damn heater in his truck was broken and he still had over a week to go before he was done with this trip.

He always tried to stop at Phil's Diner when he was in Washington. It was out of the way in a tiny town called Forks, but it was worth it. Four times he'd been here; four times he'd asked out Diner Girl. She'd said no all of them, but James wasn't deterred. This time, she'd say yes.

He'd just stood up when the door at the other end of the diner flew open, freezing cold wind whipping along the bar and snatching the cloth from her hand. She startled, letting out a mouse-like squeal and leaping about a foot in the air as she spun to face the door and clapped her hand over her heart.

A yeti stood in the doorway.

Covered head-to-foot in snow with a hat on his head and a scarf around most of his face, the man looked like Bigfoot.

"Shit, sorry, Ma'am! I didn't mean to scare ya."

He rushed to close the door, shutting out the howling wind and reaching up to remove the hat from his head, revealing a short crop of mussed, sunny blond hair. As he walked toward the brunette, she seemed to catch her breath. Her nurturing side took over and she neatly hopped the counter, setting the coffee machine to brew.

"Don't apologize, you're fine. Have a seat and I'll get something to warm you up. Coffee?"

The scarf came off to reveal a set of pearly white teeth between a pair of dimples and rosy pink cheeks. "Please. Black, with three sugars. Thank you, darlin'."

James narrowed his eyes at the flirty tenor to the southern newcomer's voice. He slowly sat back down, his beady eyes watching the way the guy's gaze followed Diner Girl.

"Coming right up, Sir." She turned to offer a smirk over her shoulder as she rinsed out a fresh mug. "You're in luck; we've got some fresh cookies left. I'll chuck a few in the oven to warm, as it's the holidays and all."

"Well, that sounds mighty fine to me."

A minute or two later, once the coffee had brewed and the cookies were warm enough for the chocolate chunks to start melting, they landed on the counter in front of him, accompanied by a cheery smile.

"Here you go, Sir. On the house; my treat."

"Nuh-uh, no can do, Missy. A gentleman always pays for his treats. That aside, let's clear somethin' up; 'Sir' is my father. The name's Emmett. Emmett McCarty."

 _She had a pretty smile_ , Emmett thought. Her lips curled up slightly more on one side than the other, her dark eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Bella. Bella Swan."

Emmett extended a large hand across the counter, enveloping Bella's tiny one. She shivered, frowning when he snatched his hand back. "Sorry. Still cold, I guess."

"Oh, no. I got an electric shock. You _are_ a little cold, though. Hand me your hat, coat, and gloves. I'll stick them on the heater back here so they're at least a bit warmer when you need them again."

Emmett dutifully stripped off his coat, smirking when he saw the realization dawning on her face as his uniform was revealed to her abruptly wide eyes. He was just about to tell her his rank when she whispered, "Staff Sergeant," beating him to the punch.

His eyebrows just about crawled into his hairline.

Her gaze crawled from his grey-green camo gear to the insignia on his left sleeve – three chevrons closed by a rounded bar at the bottom, enclosing a field of green – up to his slack jaw and wide eyes.

She thumbed her chest. "Military brat. My stepdad was a colonel when he was killed in action three years ago." As she spoke, Bella turned and pulled a framed photo from the counter behind her. She stared at it for a moment before handing it over to Emmett.

The picture was of a man in what was known as the 'green' uniform; a horribly uncomfortable heavy fabric coat with matching trousers. Emmett much preferred the camo. As an officer, Bella's stepfather's uniform also bore the signature black band around the end of the sleeve, just above each cuff. Emmett had seen a lot of military portraits in his time, but this wasn't quite the same. It had clearly been taken informally, with trees in the background, and a small, slight smile on the colonel's clean-shaven, semi-serious face.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ma'am," Emmett murmured, truly sorry. He'd lost a few comrades to this war and mourned each and every one, but something about seeing this pretty girl's sadness made him unsettled. With a face like hers, sweet and open and so very beautiful, Emmett thought she should always be smiling.

"Thank you, Staff Sergeant." Bella took the picture back, setting it safely in its spot below a small American flag and beside a beret bearing the insignia of a colonel. "He loved it here," she added. "It was his pride and joy. Whenever he was home, he was here, cooking up a storm in the kitchen or joshing with the regulars."

Emmett watched as a wistful smile curled her cupid's bow lips.

"It's still a little too quiet around here, without him." After a beat, she seemed to remember that she wasn't alone. Her eyes dropped to the coffee next to his hands. "Drink up; it'll get cold, otherwise."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Never one to disobey an order, Emmett thoroughly enjoyed his coffee and cookies, his eyes trailing after Bella as she continued her cleaning spree. She moved along to the end of the counter with her cloth once she'd retrieved it from the floor and cleaned it with hot water and soap, then made short work of the tables. Only Emmett and James remained now, the other two men having left while she and Emmett were chatting.

Content with warmth finally seeping into his bones and Bella's soft humming providing a sweet accompaniment to the Christmas CD playing on a loop, Emmett let his mind wander.

He'd been travelling for weeks, it felt like. He'd left Afghanistan after a fifteen-month tour three weeks ago, spent two weeks in New York with friends and family, then begun the trek west toward Washington. He'd been promising a certain little lady that he'd visit for Christmas for five years in a row, but until now, he'd never made it over. He was looking forward to curling up with her in front of the fire and letting the stress of war melt away – until the next tour, anyway.

Emmett raked a hand through his hair, the gesture reminding him of his little brother. He'd seen him while he was in New York. While Emmett was away, Edward had welcomed his third child. A girl this time, to complete the little family of five. Baby Kate had Rosalie's blonde hair and Edward's green eyes, just like her two older brothers. It had been nice, spending time with them. The last time he'd seen his nephews was over a year before. The youngest, Henry, hadn't even been walking then, but he'd been running rings around his harried mother and two-years-older brother, Drew, for the entirety of this visit.

Emmett fiddled with the lighter in his pocket, wondering if he could be bothered to face the harsh weather outside just to have a smoke when a sharp yelp caught his attention. He spun on his stool, white-hot rage lighting his veins at what he saw.

The guy he'd ignored on his way in, too busy with Bella, had her caged against the end of the booth he'd been sitting in. He was smiling with just a tad too little space between himself and Bella's rigid body for Emmett's liking.

"Hey, pal, back off," he muttered, hoping the creep would take the hint. He really wasn't in the mood to crack any heads. Not today.

 _It's my vacation, dammit._

The lanky haired dude shot a disgruntled look over his shoulder before leaning closer to Bella. Emmett might have left it if he hadn't seen the way Bella's fists clenched at her sides, white-knuckling her dish cloth, or the angry tears she was desperately trying to blink away.

With a heavy sigh, Emmett stood and flexed his fists. They were cold, but they'd manage fine.

 _Dammit, and I was having such a good evening, too._

"I _said_ , back off."

James still took no notice of Emmett's warning growl. Instead, he spat a curse and turned to face him. Emmett took a small amount of pleasure from the way James flinched back slightly and had to crane his head to meet his gaze.

 _Oh yeah, buddy. Now you know. Well, you think you do. You have no idea who you're messing with._

"S'got nothing to do with you, _pal_. Mind your own—"

"You don't want to finish that sentence, I promise you." Emmett grinned, though there wasn't a hint of happiness in the expression. "Bella, is this guy your boyfriend?"

"What? No!" Bella cried, looking troubled at the idea Emmett would think that.

"Hmmm. Friend?"

"No! I mean, he's asked me out a few times, but I don't even know his name!"

Emmett nodded grimly. "I was afraid you'd say that. You know, pal, back where I come from – in Texas – we don't force ourselves on a lady. Or anyone, for that matter. It's _rude_ , ya know?"

Ignoring the bolt of sensibility that told him he couldn't really afford to get in trouble, especially while in uniform, Emmett gripped James by the back of his hoodie, just below his neck like he was grabbing the scruff of a dog's neck. James twisted, but Emmett was stronger and bigger and he'd expected it. He used his free hand to grab James' shoulder.

"Ah, ah. We're goin' this way."

Without pausing to let James pick up his jacket or hat, Emmett firmly guided him to the door of the diner and shoved him through. The freezing air bit at his exposed face but he didn't plan on being outside long.

"Now, let me tell you somethin', asshole. I've dealt with much slimier, smarter pricks than you in my time for much smaller transgressions than forcing themselves on a lady." He paused to let the 'dealt with' sink in, growling his next words right in James' scowling face. "Trust me when I tell you that if I _ever_ find out you've come back here after tonight, I'll be sure to see to it that you find yourself experiencing just how painful it is to be up close and personal with my temper."

Raising his eyebrows, Emmett gripped James' neck through his hoodie hard enough to garner a wince. "Do you understand me?"

James squirmed for a moment before giving up. He knew when he was beat. His eyes slid around Emmett, but he couldn't see Bella from there. "Whatever. That bitch isn't even worth the hass—"

James was flat on his back in the snow with blood pouring from his nose and Emmett smirking at the crack of cartilage under his fist before he could finish his sentence. "What the fuck? You broke my nose!"

Emmett shook his head sadly, a deadly gleam in his ice blue eyes. "That won't be all I'll break if you so much as _breathe_ Bella's name again. Scram." The click of the door closing behind him made Emmett turn; Bella had tossed James' jacket and hat out into the snow, so he snatched it up and threw it at him. Personally, he didn't care if James froze out here or not, but Bella was clearly more thoughtful.

James didn't need telling twice. He and his bloody nose disappeared into the cab of the truck parked on the road alongside the diner, the engine a dull rumble over the sound of the wind as he hightailed it away. Only when it was out of sight did Emmett huff and turn, stepping back into the diner. He rubbed his red knuckles, muttering 'fuck' under his breath.

There was no way his little lady was going to miss that. She was far too observant. Deciding it was worth the inevitable interrogation, Emmett huffed and shook it off, plastering a smile on his face so Bella wouldn't think his irritated scowl was because of her.

Only, Bella was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **So...what do you think? :)  
**

 **Like it or hate it, please let me know! Feedback is always appreciated.**

 **It's all pre-written so I'm aiming to post every day or so from now until Christmas Eve.**

 **Also...there are a few great Christmas competitions taking place right now! The** Twilight Fanfiction Pays It Forward **page is holding a Christmas card competition on Facebook and it looks like a lot of fun! And there's a prompt contest starting in January I believe, hosted by** Twifiction News

 **FOR FACEBOOK USERS - I'VE CREATED THE 'ENTRANCED BY EMMETT' GROUP FOR SHARING EMMETT FIC RECS, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JOIN IF YOU WANT MORE EMMETT STORIES! IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, DROP ME A PM AND I'LL HELP YOU WITH A LINK.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This has had a wonderful reaction even  
just after the first chapter – you've got me  
all shocked! I expected a lot of people complaining  
that it's Emmett instead of Edward, but that hasn't  
happened – so far. I'm pleased you're happy for  
a little bit of a switcheroo.**

 **I've created a group on Facebook for Emmett fans  
'Entranced By Emmett'  
where we'll share recs and celebrate the wonder  
that is Emmett. Please feel free to join us there; if  
you get stuck, shoot me a PM and I'll sort you out a  
link.**

 **Thank you again to** annaharding **for being my wonderful  
friend and wielding your magical pen whenever I have a  
random story idea!**

 **And thank you to all of you for reviewing and PMing  
your lovely words. It means the world to me to hear your  
thoughts.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017 – Twelve years later**_

An army of gingerbread men lined up across the gray counter top, some wearing bowties, some wearing gummy bear buttons, and some still naked apart from their jelly bean eyes and smiles.

Bella smiled at her handiwork, hands on hips, a smear of sugar across her left cheek. She blew out a long breath and shook her head. A handful of years ago, she'd have laughed her ass off if anybody had told her she'd be amassing armies of gingerbread men five days before Christmas. And yet, here she was, elbow-deep in a bowl of gingerbread mix ready to be rolled out and put in the oven.

 _That should do it_ , Bella thought, knowing she'd probably gone overboard but not able to bring herself to care. Her eyes danced toward the clock.

 _They'll be here any min—_

" _Bella? Hello?_ "

Bella smiled, wiping her hands on a towel. "In the kitchen!"

What sounded like a herd of elephants, but was really just her best friend's brood, charged into the kitchen. She kissed each of their heads in turn – seven-year-old Jake, four-year-old twins Samuel and Embry, and three-year-old Claire. They all beamed up at her, their little voices overlapping as they excitedly told her that they'd brought presents and snacks and _oh gosh,_ so many toys!

Laughing, Bella ruffled Jacob's hair and shot a pointed glance at the counter. "Well, why don't you take a gingerbread man each and get all set up? You're the first ones here, so we've got a few minutes before we can start."

"Okay, Aunt Bella!" they trilled, clambering on stools to carefully choose their gingerbread men – or girl, in Claire's case; Bella had made a couple with hair and hair ribbons for her, the only girl in the little gang – before thundering through to the living room.

Their harried mom appeared in the doorway just as they left.

"Jesus H Christ. Whose idea was it to have Christmas again this year?" Leah grumbled, dumping the kids' rucksacks on the floor and sinking into a chair at the table.

Bella burst into laughter, but her smile was a little sympathetic as she fetched her friend a glass of water. "Not long to go now, Leelee. Just a few weeks."

Leah rolled her dark eyes, but her smile was tender as she rubbed her beach ball belly. She was thirty-four weeks gone with baby Black number five and very much over the whole ordeal. Her OB/GYN had booked her in for a C-section in three weeks and all she'd talked about was how much she was looking forward to the peace and quiet of a few days in hospital without her four eldest children or Jacob, her husband.

"You know, I could really do with one of those gingerbread men. My gut's all over the place today. Gimme, gimme!"

Snorting, Bella plucked a man from the counter and threw it to Leah like a frisbee. She caught it deftly thanks to four years playing netball in high school and hummed happily after the first bite.

"You know, you don't have to fake sick to get a gingerbread man. I've got more than enough."

Leah nodded with wide, teasing eyes, swallowing her mouthful before speaking. "You don't say! Are you planning on feeding the entire town, or…?"

"Oh, har-har." Bella busied herself tidying up some of the baking mess, her eyes stinging as she roughly scrubbed one of the now-empty mixing bowls.

"Hey," Leah waddled her way over to the sink, resting a hand on Bella's back. "I was only kidding, B."

"I know, I know, I'm just," Bella waved a hand, managing a weak smile. "It's Christmas, you know…I always get emotional."

It had been years, but Bella still hated the sympathy that clouded everyone's eyes when she was emotional over big holidays or special occasions. She shook off her misery and returned to washing up.

"I'm fine, you know what I'm like. Now…the kids said something about Scrabble?"

Knowing Leah wouldn't leave the subject forever, Bella was just grateful when her friend's narrowed eyes rolled, and her smile returned. "You'll regret saying 'yes,' you know. Mark my words. They only play two or three letter words."

Instead of saying what she was thinking – that she'd much rather play Scrabble with the kids than dwell on her morose thoughts – Bella smiled and dried her hands before grabbing a plate of gingerbread men and leading Leah through to join the kids.

Leah definitely didn't need any more ammunition to interrogate her with, thank you very much.

 **~ oOo ~**

After three games of Scrabble – Bella won the first, Jake the second, and Leah the third – the kids were bored and asked if they could watch a movie instead. They tossed a coin then piled onto the bean bags Bella kept in the closet to watch _Finding Dory_ with a bowl of salted caramel popcorn and a few of the gingerbread left after their Scrabble tournament. Bella and Leah left them to it and got comfy on the couch to have a proper catch-up. They were long overdue.

Bella had met Leah almost seven years ago to the day.

Leah was eighteen years old, fresh out of high school, and heavily pregnant. The father was a deadbeat; he'd turned tail and run at the first mention of a positive pregnancy test. Feeling for the crying girl in the corner of McDonalds, Bella had taken her hot chocolate and sat down at the table with her. At that little table in a Seattle fast food restaurant, a lifelong friendship had begun. They'd bonded over their favorite food – anything greasy with pickles on top – and their shared love of Christmas music. Before leaving for her shift at the diner, Bella had scribbled the number of a friend who lived nearby on a napkin, adding her own number and address just for good measure.

It had gutted them both when Leah's husband, Jake, had been stationed at a base in Michigan for four years. They'd visited each other as often as possible, of course but it hadn't been easy for them to be apart. Leah and Bella had thrown an enormous party when the Blacks moved back to Washington a few months ago.

Now, Bella was godmother to Leah's four children, and Leah was—

The rumble of an engine on the drive cut off Bella's nostalgic line of thought.

Leah's lips curled in a grin. "Oh, jeez. Here we go. Chaos will ensue."

Bella nodded in agreement, helping Leah to her feet before they wandered out to the foyer. The kids met them there just as the door flew open.

It wasn't who she'd expected, but everyone would get there in due time.

 _Everyone except—_

" _Holy…_ Frankie! Calm down!"

Much to Bella's consternation, Frankie the Beagle did nothing of the sort. He tore up the path like a bat out of hell, barking all the way into the house. He did laps of everyone – Bella, Leah, Jake, Samuel, Embry, and Claire – before returning to Bella with a lolling tongue and a whip for a tail.

Despite his batshit craziness, she scooped him up and smothered his furry face with kisses, giggling when he returned her affection with slobbery vigor.

"Ew, Aunt Bewwa! Fwankie's swobberin' on you!" Embry squealed, her favorite little germaphobe.

"It won't kill me, sweet boy," she drawled, letting Frankie jump down so she could snatch up Embry and teasing kiss all over his precious little face until he gasped his surrender through giggles.

"Ahem. Where's my love, baby girl?"

"Dad," Bella laughed, flying into her dad's arms. He caught her easily; he always had. "It's been too long," she chided gently, sucking in a lungful of his familiar Old Spice and mint scent. He gave up smoking decades ago, but his gum habit had stuck, so he forever smelled of Wrigley's Spearmint and the aftershave he'd used for as long as she could remember.

"It sure has, baby girl. It sure has." Charlie pulled back to kiss his daughter's forehead, his moustache jumping high in a grin when he spotted the gaggle of children eyeing him curiously from the entryway. "Well, who've we got here?"

Embry shoved his older brother forward, ducking behind his twin.

Jake scowled, but he straightened his shoulders and stepped up beside Bella. "Jake Black, Sir. These are my brothers, Sam and Embry." He jerked a thumb at Claire wrapped around Leah's leg. "That's Claire. She's the baby."

"Hey!" Claire cried, outraged.

Charlie chuckled and crouched, extending a hand for Jake to shake. Bella smiled down at the exchange, loving her dad for it; the pride on Jake's face as he tried to clasp Charlie's hand hard made her need to bite her lip to keep her from laughing out loud. "Wow! That's a strong grip you've got there, son. Now, I assume you're the man of the family?"

Jake cast a look over his shoulder at Leah. She nodded, doing her best to maintain a serious expression. He turned back to Charlie and nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, Sir. My dad's in the US Military, so when he's gone, I'm in charge of Mom and the kids."

Samuel scoffed. "You're a kid, too."

"Shut up, Sam!" Jake jerked toward his brother with clenched fists, displaying the temper he'd inherited from his hot-headed father.

"Hey," Bella soothed, resting a hand on Jake's shoulder. He gazed up at her, his dad's fiery, dark-eyed stare making her smile. "Do you need a minute? Dad will wait."

Jake looked between her and Charlie's patient face; he shook his head. "No. I'm okay." He huffed, then offered Charlie a shaky smile. "You're Aunt Bella's dad?"

Charlie nodded. "I am. Damn hard work, too!"

With wide eyes and a toothy grin, Jake erupted with surprised giggles as Bella rolled her eyes and tugged her dad up to his feet. He was laughing, too, but he shot Leah an apologetic grin when Bella pointed out that he'd just said 'damn' to a child. "Sorry. I forget myself, sometimes. Do you have a swear jar here?"

Bella pointed to the mason jar on the side table. "Five bucks for that one. I hope you brought plenty of bills."

A scoff and a light laugh from the path reminded Bella that her dad hadn't travelled here alone. She sighed, smiling as her mom drew her into her arms. "I brought a roll of fives, just in case," Renee admitted, rolling her eyes as Charlie told the children they may as well raid his wallet ahead of time and put it all in the jar.

"It's great to see you, Mom."

And it was.

Eight years ago, nobody had been more surprised than Bella when her mom and dad got back together. Both had remarried since their divorce when Bella was a baby, and both had subsequently been widowed – Renee by the war, when she lost Phil to a roadside bomb, and Charlie by cancer, when his wife Sue had succumbed to the deadly disease. They were now married to each other for the second time and living in bliss in Utah, where Renee worked as a radiotherapist and Charlie, as a mechanic. It was still a little odd to see them together sometimes, but Bella was slowly getting used to it.

 _It helps that they're so sickeningly happy_ , Bella thought as she watched Renee shove a wad of fives into Charlie's hand before introducing herself to Leah and the children.

Once all the introductions were out of the way, the children returned to their movie and the adults made congregated in the kitchen, Frankie hot on their trail. Charlie and Renee pulled off their hats, scarves, gloves, and coats and huddled close to the fireplace crackling away in the corner while Bella made up some coffee and handed them a gingerbread man each.

"These are delicious, Bells," Charlie complimented around a mouthful of the sweet biscuit.

Renee used her free hand to lightly smack the back of his head. "Chew, swallow, _then_ talk. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It's like having a child again."

Bella saw the moment her mom's eyes lit with hope and felt a smile curling her lips before Renee could open her mouth.

"They'll be here soon, Mom." A quick glance at the clock revealed they'd be here sooner rather than later.

Renee sighed in a long-suffering kind of way, but shot her daughter an impish smile. "I didn't travel all this way in a blizzard just to see my daughter, you know."

Leah snorted into her hot chocolate as Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm well aware you don't fly to Washington just to see your delightful daughter. You have priorities and I'm roughly…fourth on the list. Actually, _fifth_ if you include Frankie."

Hearing his name, Frankie bolted across the room and stood on his hind legs, hitting Bella repeatedly with his front paw until she took the hint and hoisted him into her arms. "You know, you're a bit too heavy to carry now, buddy. You were a lot more manageable the last time I saw you."

Frankie cocked his head at her, then licked from her chin to her temple with a cheerful wag of his tail.

At roughly nine-months-old, he was a lot bigger than he had been when she last saw him aged ten weeks. During her mom and dad's last visit, they'd bumped into the Hershey's, who bred beagles. They'd talked Charlie and Renee into visiting their litter and, just as Bella suspected, her parents hadn't been able to leave without a wriggly bundle of tan, white, and black fur in their arms. Frankie was the last pup to leave and had been spoiled by Mr. and Mrs. Hershey as a result. The week he'd spent at Bella's before leaving with Charlie and Renee to head back to Utah had proven that Bella wasn't ready for the responsibility of a dog just yet; the chewed slippers, pee on the carpet, and howling at all hours of the day and night just weren't her idea of fun.

"You know, Bella, John and Rita have another litter due in January…"

"Nope! No way. This devil mutt is more than enough hair and drool for me, thanks." With one last kiss to her fur-brother's head, Bella set him on the floor, following him to the door when he click-clicked his way over there and head-butted the screen. "Besides, dogs are a lot of work. I don't have time for one, especially not one as mental as Frankie."

Renee scoffed, her hazel eyes alight with mirth. "My baby isn't mental. He's _characterful._ "

Even Charlie laughed at that, earning him another chiding tap to the back of the neck. "Hey! What was that for, woman?"

Catching Leah's somewhat overwhelmed gaze, Bella shrugged. "What're you gonna do? They're crazy and they're both well past any help I can give them. Like I said, I know where I am on the priority list."

Leah laughed and shook her head as Renee nodded vehemently. "You know you're near the top of my list, darling. Right behind my little Frankie-poo and my grandbabies. Speaking of which…what time did you say they'd be getting here? Nana needs her grandbaby snuggles."

* * *

 **I know I'm going to have some flouncers, but I'll give you a spoiler here - this story will alternate between flashbacks and the present time. If that's not your thing, I totally understand, but it will make sense if you stick it out :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I'm sorry I confused you all  
with my time jump, but I promise it will all  
make sense in the end if you just trust me and  
stick with me. I'm glad most of you are hanging  
on in there, but please feel free to message me if  
anything needs clarifying.**

 **This chapter goes back to the day after the first chapter,  
so 2005.**

 **Before I do anything else, I want to rec a brand new  
story and author!**TJoan **is a friend of mine from real life  
and she's just started posting her first fic  
**Selfless Love  
 **It's a thinker, that's for sure, and it's got my brain all  
in knots already after a short first chapter! Definitely worth  
checking it out, so please go leave her some love and let her  
know I sent you :)**

 **Big thank you to** annaharding **my wonderful friend and  
beta for this story!**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2005**_

Bright sunlight filtered through the blinds and seared Bella's eyelids.

 _Oh, mother of hell…what on God's green Earth is that noise?_

It took a moment or two for Bella to realize that the insufferable racket that had woken her was a phone vibrating on the end table. A screwed-up, one-eyed glance startled her.

 _That's not my phone!_

Suddenly, it all came flying back.

 _The diner._

 _That weirdo who always asks me out._

 _The yeti—_ no _. The soldier._

 _Staff Sergeant Emmett McCarty, my hero._

 _Emmett coming back in after tossing the creep into the snow, finding me in the kitchen._

 _Patching up his split knuckles._

 _Sharing coffee and cookies at the bar and singing to Sinatra._

 _Laughing…flirting…kissing…_

With a sudden bolt of clarity and awareness, Bella realized there was a heavy, hot arm draped around her waist and an equally heated body spooning her.

Sucking in a slow breath, she managed to twist around in his embrace without waking him. Despite the tell-tale soreness from a late night well-spent, she couldn't help but appreciate the fine sight of the man before her. Or, _around_ her.

Emmett had long, muscular legs dusted with fine blond hair. One of then rested loosely over hers. His waist was covered by the sheet – a crime, in Bella's opinion, now that she knew what the sheet was hiding. His chest was wide and broad, with a smattering of the same fine golden hairs on his legs and head. She frowned, lightly twisting a curl around her pinky finger. They were almost bleach blond…

Abruptly, it occurred to her that they were likely that way due to his recent tour of Afghanistan. Lots of sun in that particular sandbox.

Moving upward, Bella's eyes widened when she spotted a distinct bruise just below his collarbone. She didn't really remember biting, but she guessed she must have. It definitely hadn't been there last night when she'd been kissing the skin revealed by each button she unfastened.

 _Emmett panted, hissing a, "fffuck," when her tongue darted out to lave the spot she'd just kissed._

 _Smirking, Bella ran it down to where she was making short work of the next button._

"Well, shit." Running her fingertips lightly across the obvious teeth marks, Bella felt a flush rise over her chest and cheeks. There was something ridiculously hot about seeing her mark on him. She bit her lip as her gaze wandered over his chiseled, scruff-covered jaw, then let out a sharp squeal when she found a pair of amused, sleepy, but _open_ blue eyes staring back at her. Bella jumped hard enough that she somehow managed to flip herself out of the bed onto the hardwood floor with a thump.

" _Ow._ "

As she lay there on the cold floor in just her birthday suit, Bella prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Instead, Emmett's face appeared over the side of the bed, his big blue eyes crinkled and his lips shaking with restrained laughter.

 _Those damn dimples…_ Bella cursed them. Even though she desperately wanted to be mad at him for laughing at her pain and misery, it was impossible to be mad at the adorable dimples bookending his barely-stifled grin.

"Uh, good mornin', Bella," he chuckled.

" _Oh God._ " Bella ran a hand through her hair, pushing up to rest on her elbows. Her cheeks were flaming as she hesitantly met his gaze from below her long eyelashes. "Morning, Emmett."

Apparently unable to hold it back any longer, Emmett guffawed. He disappeared back onto the bed and attempted to give her what he hoped was an apologetic grin when she harrumphed and clambered back up to join him, slipping under the covers.

 _It's freaking freezing in here!_

"I'm sorry, it's just…" Emmett huffed, rolling onto his side. He pillowed his head on one bended arm; Bella was thoroughly distracted from his apology by the way the position made his bicep bulge, the tattoo of a tiger that resided there flexing. Her tongue involuntarily darted out to wet her lips.

"Hey now, little Bella, if you keep lookin' at me like that, we're never gonna make it out of this bed."

Bella heard the warning in his voice, but she also heard the needy growl that told her a part of him, at least, didn't really care if they never left the bed again. "Is that a problem?"

Before he could answer, his phone resumed its dance across the side table. He reached over her, grinning impishly at the groan she released when his glorious chest was within biting distance, before flopping back against the mattress and murmuring, "Excuse me," as he answered the call.

"Hey, darlin'."

All the fine hairs rose on the back of Bella's neck.

 _Darlin'? Darlin'?!_

She could just about hear the low fuzz of someone speaking on the other end of the line, but it wasn't loud enough for her to hear a distinct voice. Emmett's, however, she could hear.

"Now, you know I'd never miss our big date! I'll be there at twelve-hundred hours, on the dot, just like we agreed."

Bella's eyes jumped to the kangaroo clock on the wall – a gift from her mom after her honeymoon in Australia. _Ten forty-five._

Trying to swallow the sudden sting of jealousy, Bella huffed and threw the covers off, covering a surprised Emmett. She stalked across the room as he mumbled a curse, uncovering himself and then apologizing to his 'darlin' for cussing as Bella snatched her robe from the dresser and pulled a towel from the hamper she'd meant to put away after work yesterday.

"Sorry, hold on one second, doll. Bella, are you okay?" Glancing over her shoulder at him with her hand on the handle separating her bedroom and the bathroom, Bella saw Emmett frowning and sitting up, his hand over the phone so whoever he was speaking to wouldn't hear what was being said.

"Fine. There's another shower downstairs – towels on the rack. Help yourself."

With that, she ignored the almost hurt look on his face and slammed the bathroom door behind herself, locking it for good measure.

 _How could I be so goddamn stupid? Of-fucking-course he's not single!_

Bella sighed as she stepped under the hot spray once her decrepit shower had had a chance to warm up. She was being idiotic to think a man like Emmett would be unattached. Unbidden, memories of his swoon-worthy smile as he'd removed his hat at the diner and his God-like body under that military uniform swept through Bella's mind and raised goosebumps over her skin.

"Idiot Bella," she muttered, scratching shampoo into her wet hair while scowling up at her ceiling.

This wasn't her first one-night-stand, but it _was_ her first with someone who was clearly in a relationship. Possibly even married. He wasn't wearing a ring, but some men didn't. Phil never had, not wanting to lose it out on deployment. He'd had a tattoo of his and Renee's wedding date over his heart, instead.

Feeling foolish and disgusted with herself, and not wanting to see Emmett, Bella took a little longer in the shower than usual before climbing out and toweling her hair until it was semi-dry. With a bath robe wrapped tight around her, she sucked in a big breath and crept out into her bedroom. Her home was small and kind of old, so she'd be able to hear if he was downstairs in the shower; _silence_. A quick peek out at the street revealed an empty space where he'd haphazardly parked the night before and fresh tire tracks in the snow.

"Hmmm." Though she'd been sort of hoping she wouldn't have to come face-to-face with Emmett again, Bella felt the rush of disappointment as she stared down at the _Jeep_ -sized gap. "Just proves he's an asshat. Didn't even say 'goodbye,'" Bella mumbled to herself, deciding to shake it off and get on with her day.

 **~ oOo ~**

Hours later, once the sun had set and Bella had managed to push all thoughts of Emmett, her not-quite-hero, from her mind, she swapped her ski boots, jeans, and hoodie for a floor-length, one-shoulder red sequined dress. It was felt amazing against her skin and showed off one of her shapely legs when she moved, thanks to the thigh-high slit on the front hem.

She curled her hair up and back into a chignon, and applied the least amount of make-up she thought she could get away with. Working at the diner and living in a tiny town didn't exactly provide a lot of chances for practicing the art of make-up application, so Bella tended to avoid it when possible. A swipe of lip gloss, and a brush of mascara on her eyelashes later, and Bella was ready. Sliding her feet into a worn pair of _Chucks_ , because heels on the slippery sidewalk were not a good idea, Bella tugged on a faux-fur shrug and all-but sprinted to her truck, cranking the heat up all the way as soon as she was snug in the cab.

A quick check of the time calmed her frazzled nerves; _I've still got time_ , Bella realized with relief. Every year, The Lodge threw a Christmas party for the entire town. It was the biggest venue in Forks, besides the high school, and they always put on a great night. They catered, the local dance class put on a little show, and they paid a few of the locals to take turns performing before the band took over at nine. As a child, Bella had performed every year with her dance class; not that she'd been any good at it. Both clumsy and shy, she'd always tried to hide at the back of her group. It wasn't until middle school that things changed.

She smiled to herself as she began the slow drive toward The Lodge, remembering the fateful year she'd been talked into trading her dancing shoes for a microphone.

 _Chewing on her lip, Bella peered around the curtain at the sea of people watching the stage with eager, slightly tipsy, eyes._

" _Hey, what's all this?" A gruff voice from behind made her jump. She spun, twisting the microphone in her hands._

 _Phil looped an arm around her shoulders, his light blue eyes twinkling merrily but narrowed a little with concern._

" _I'm nervous. What if I mess up?"_

 _He shook his head, his newly-grown hair flopping over his forehead. Renee always made him grow it between deployments, and she always cried when he made her shave it off before he left on his next tour._

" _Oh, Bella. You realize your mom and I have listened to you practicing every day since September, right? You won't mess up, honey. Your teacher, Mrs. Lincoln, right?" Bella nodded meekly, her eyes dancing back to the waiting crowd. "Mrs. Lincoln wouldn't put you up there if she didn't think you'd be able to do it, would she?"_

 _Shrugging, Bella blew out a big breath. "I guess not."_

 _Phil sighed and took a step back, smiling softly when she visibly steeled herself and smoothed a hand over her red sequined dress. "You look like a beautiful little Christmas fairy."_

 _With a giggle, Bella shook her head, her long, wavy chestnut locks settling around her shoulders. "I'm not a fairy!"_

 _Raising an eyebrow, Phil winked. "Sorry, Christmas '_ princess' _."_

 _Bella nodded with a satisfied grin. "Good. Um, you can go now."_

" _All right. Now, just remember your mom and I think you're incredibly brave and talented, and we're just out there in the front row waiting to cheer you on. We're your groupies."_

 _Giggling again, Bella waved him off before quickly calling him back. He crouched down, all six-feet-four of him warm and comforting as she threw her arms around his neck for one last hug. "Thank you, Papa."_

 _He grinned into her hair and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Go get 'em, princess."_

 _And she had. Bella had stood front and center and sung 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' to the town. She'd received a standing ovation and three full minutes of applause and cheers, her little face scarlet when Phil swung her down off the stage clutching the bouquet of roses he and Renee had brought to surprise her._

And so had begun the tradition of Bella singing at the Christmas party. Every year since, she'd stood on that same stage in a red sequined dress and sung the same song, occasionally throwing in a couple of others depending on how many other people had signed up to perform.

Bella's smile was wistful as she made her way into The Lodge a short while later, shivering and shaking snow from her hair. She still got a great buzz from performing, even just this one night a year, but it was a bittersweet moment at the end of her act when Phil wasn't standing in the front row leading the applause. He'd been her stepfather from the age of three, and when she'd lost him at eighteen-years-old, just months after he roared a cheer as she crossed the stage at her high school graduation as valedictorian, Bella had been heartbroken.

"Bella!" Lizzie, the lady in charge of keeping the show running smoothly, threw her arms around Bella and squealed. "We've got a massive crowd tonight! They're going to love you up there."

A frisson of fear skittered up Bella's spine, but she smiled nonetheless. "Great! That's really great. Lots of money for the foundation."

Lizzie sobered slightly. "Absolutely. And they deserve it, too."

Like Bella, Lizzie knew the pain of losing a loved-one to war. Her father and brother had both been lost to war when she was ten and twelve respectively, and she'd dedicated her life since to raising money for the foundations that helped her and her mother through their grief. Now, as co-owner and manager of The Lodge, she had the perfect platform to raise funds. Half of the profits from the bar and food at the annual Christmas party went to charity, as did any other donations handed over on the night.

Bella and Lizzie headed back to the area behind the stage to get Bella set up. The preschool dance class was performing at the time, so Bella lingered in the wings to watch the little ones dance along to ' _Jingle Bells_ ' dressed as adorable elves and reindeer. She smiled when her eyes found her next-door neighbor's little girl right at the front giving it everything, her white-blonde hair shimmering with glitter and decorated with sweet little candy cane bows. It definitely didn't surprise Bella to see outgoing Kylie right up-front, nor did it shock her that Kylie's much quieter twin brother, Kai, was hiding at the back, exactly like she used to.

"All right, Bella," Ernie, the sound technician, whispered. "You're up next. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she murmured, smiling weakly when he clucked her on the chin and took the CD from her hand. "It's the only track on there."

"'Kay. Knock 'em dead, hon."

The preschoolers filed off the other end of the stage to the rapturous applause of their adoring, if a little merry, audience. Bella inhaled a deep breath, smoothed her hands over her fitted dress, and plastered a smile on her face even though her nerves were drowning her. She always felt this way until she heard the opening notes of the song and let herself just…enjoy the music.

"I give you, The Lodge's co-owner Bella Swan singing ' _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'_!"

Taking her cue from Lizzie's introduction, Bella exhaled heavily and walked purposefully to center stage where the microphone stood waiting for her. The audience clapped and cheered, a sea of familiar faces dimmed by the spotlight shining directly at her.

"Hello, everyone. Most of you know me from the diner, but for those of you who don't know me, I'm Lizzie's business partner, Bella, and we started the foundation we're all here to support tonight."

She'd managed to ignore it thus far, but Bella's eyes found the floor-to-ceiling banner hanging to the left of the stage. Phil stood tall and proud in his camo uniform with Renee tucked into his left side, four-year-old Bella on his right hip. "The Phil Dwyer Foundation has raised almost a million dollars since it was formed, and that's all down to you guys and your generosity at functions like this one."

A wave of applause and delight spread through the crowd. Phil had been a well-respected, much-adored member of the community with lots of friends; he was sorely missed.

"So, because my talents are pretty limited and I'm nowhere near clever enough to think of the appropriate words to thank you all properly, I'm going to wish you a merry Christmas in the best way I know how. Enjoy your night, everyone." Looking back to Phil's beaming grin, Bella swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back tears. "This is for you, and for all the men and women who give their lives on a daily basis to fight for our freedom."

There were hoots, hollers, and more clapping as Bella turned to smile encouragingly at Ernie. The cacophony started to die down as the piano began, but as soon as Bella's soft, dulcet tones left her lips, the entire room fell silent.

" _Have yourself, a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light.  
From now on all our troubles will be out of sight."_

" _Have yourself, a merry little Christmas. Make the Yuletide gay.  
From now on our troubles will be miles away."_

Bella's eyes swept over the audience. She held their attention on the notes of her song, her lips curling in a smile as she peered out at the familiar faces.

When she sung of happy golden days, Bella caught the eye of Maggie May in the front row. She was pushing eighty but was one of the very best people in Forks and lived just a street away from Bella. Her big, brown eyes sparkled happily when Bella offered her a wink and a smile as she sang the word 'friends.'

" _Here we are, as in olden days. Happy golden days, of yore.  
Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us, once more."_

Just as she picked up the next line, Bella felt a bolt of sympathy for the kindly old lady; she'd been talking about how excited she was to have a date accompanying her to the party for weeks now, yet she was sitting between the aisle and an empty seat.

" _Someday soon, we all will be together. If the fates allow.  
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough,  
and have yourself a merry little Christmas, now."_

The music faded out, Bella's breath catching in her throat. She could feel the burning sensation of eyes upon her as the entire town stood to applaud and whistle. Her cheeks lit on fire, tears stinging her eyes as they moved over the smiling, tearful faces of her friends and neighbors.

 _Wait._

Her heart began to pound against her ribcage, a disbelieving rush of breath fleeing her lungs.

 _It can't be…_

But even before her brain caught up with her gaze, Bella knew it was him. The seat beside Maggie May was no longer empty. Between the sweet little lady and Mr. Johnson from the bakery was a large, all-too-familiar set of broad shoulders, a pair of adorable dimples, and the most piercing ice blue eyes Bella had ever seen.

There, sitting in the front row exactly where Phil always used to, was Emmett.

* * *

 **Quick reminder - The** Twilight Fanfiction Pays It Forward **Facebook page is hosting a Christmas Winterward Card contest - it looks like great fun so please check it out and enter!**

 **Also, I've created a page for Emmett fans on Facebook -** Entranced By Emmett **. Everyone is welcome!**

 **And for teasers and snippets, please find my author page on Facebook,** Ciara Shayee - Author

 **xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Monday, everyone!  
I'm so glad to see that most of you are hanging  
on and enjoying this little tale so far. You've got  
questions, I know - they will all be answered as  
we go along :)**

 **Thank you to** annaharding **for dealing with me and  
the mess I send her. Somehow, she manages to  
make sense of it and get it looking ship-shape!**

 **I'll leave you here and let you get on with it.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017**_

Frank Sinatra crooned through the speakers beside the TV while the children merrily decorated their tree ornaments on the coffee table. Frankie the beagle was more than content to lay on the floor in front of the fire, an antler between his jaws.

"Mommy?"

Leah took a tip of her hot chocolate before smiling at Samuel. "Yeah, baby?"

He frowned, troubled. "Is Fwankie eatin' Wudowph's antwer?"

Charlie, Renee, Bella, and Leah burst into laughter at the little boy's question, turning his ears pink with embarrassment.

"Oh, sweetheart," Bella breathed, pulling him over onto her lap. "That antler isn't Rudolph's, I promise. It doesn't belong to any of Santa's other reindeer, either."

Samuel didn't look convinced as he shot a wary look at the dog gnawing on his treat. "Den whose is it?"

"Uh…" Bella trailed off, looking to the other adults for help. They had the attention of the other three children now, too; Jacob, Embry, and Claire were all staring at her with matching expressions of worry.

Leah snorted and hid her face in her cup. "Don't look at me. I usually tell them to ask their dad."

Shaking her head, Bella took a deep breath and cupped Samuel's worried face. "It's a toy antler, sweetheart. It's just pretend, like the plastic food for your toy kitchen at home."

Samuel eyed the antler once more, then the serious faces of the three other adults. Charlie was almost busting at the seams in his attempts to withhold a joke about there being no presents this year because Rudolph couldn't fly without his antlers, Renee was trying her best not to squeal at how adorable her daughter looked holding the little boy, and Leah was rubbing her chest with a scowl, mumbling, "Heartburn's a bitch."

"M'kay, Aunt Bella. I beweive you. Can I have a biscuit man now? Uh, pwease?"

With a relieved smile, Bella loudly kissed his dark head of hair and stood with him in her arms. "You absolutely can, short stuff! Jake, Embry, Claire…do you want another gingerbread man?"

The children cheered their 'yes, please's!' so Bella headed to the kitchen with Samuel happy in her arms. Sitting him on the counter beside the fridge, after reminding him to stay still, she fished out a carton of milk and four plastic cups. Samuel's eyes were wide as she poured him a glass of milk so he could dunk his 'biscuit man.'

"Do you want to go ask the others if they want milk, too, handsome?"

Nodding quickly, Samuel accepted the non-spill lid for his cup and sprinted to the living room with his milk in one small hand, a bow-tie and top-hat clad gingerbread man in the other. Bella sighed, leaning against the counter as her eyes drifted toward the window. Snow was falling steadily outside, adding to the already thick white blanket covering her entire yard. It seemed to sparkle in the low light of the moon.

The sun had long-since set, leaving the moon to take its perch high in the inky night sky. A small break in the snow clouds left it visible to Bella's gaze for a few moments longer before they shifted, blocking it from view.

 _A full moon,_ Bella thought morosely. _I wonder if he saw it…_

"Embwy and Cwaire said 'yes' and Jake said 'no,' Aunt Bewwa!" Samuel crowed, skidding into the kitchen on _Transformer_ socked feet.

She plastered a smile on her face and clapped her hands. "All righty then! Do you want to help me?"

"Sure!" With three rambunctious siblings, sweet, shy little Samuel was always happy to spend one-on-one time with his Aunt Bella. He concentrated hard on pouring the milk for Embry and Claire without spilling any, then took his time choosing the best gingerbread man for each of his brothers and sister.

"What about this one? It's got pigtails, like Claire," Bella suggested.

Samuel frowned and cocked his head to the side. "S'got a pink bow, though."

"And Claire likes red," Bella concluded, thinking for a second. "Hold on…" Carefully, without breaking him, Bella removed the red bowtie from one of the gingerbread men, carefully swapping it for the pink bow on the gingerbread girl's head. "Is that better?"

Samuel was delighted with Bella's quick thinking and excitedly told everyone about it when he carefully carried the tray of milk and biscuits into the living room.

"That _is_ cool, buddy," Charlie agreed, ruffling the little boy's hair. Samuel grinned at him, having warmed up to Bella's loud father now he was a bit more used to his booming voice.

As Bella curled her legs beneath her and got comfortable in the window seat, she felt her mom's eyes on her. Wondering at the curiosity in her mom's gaze, Bella asked, "Are you okay?"

Nodding quickly, Renee smiled. "I'm fine, sweetpea. Are _you_ okay?"

Swallowing her 'not really,' because she definitely didn't want to open _that_ can of worm this evening, Bella forced a smile onto her face. "I'm okay. It's really great to have you here, Mom."

"It's great to _be_ here." Even as she spoke, Bella watched Renee's eyes flit to one of the pictures on the mantle over the fire. Without looking, Bella knew it was the photo of her, Renee, and Phil outside their little house the day they moved in.

" _Phil! That's way too heavy to carry…by yourself…" Renee trailed off, her laughter ringing across the lawn as Phil easily lifted the armchair and raised his eyebrows at her. "All right, tough guy. Just…hurry up, before you put your back out!"_

 _Phil chuckled as he carried the chair up the path from the moving truck, pausing to kiss Renee senseless on the porch. They broke apart and turned to smile when girlish giggles rang out._

 _Three-year-old Bella was on her back on the grass with their golden retriever, Sparky, licking every spot of available skin he could reach. They'd rescued him from a kill shelter back in Florida the same day they were leaving to relocate to Forks. Phil had received his new PCS orders and would be stationed in Seattle, but they'd found the diner and the most adorable little two-bedroom house in Forks, which was just over three hours away. Phil had argued that it was too far at first, because he'd either have to commute the three hours each way ever day or stay on base during the week, only spending time with his girls at the weekends. However, one visit to Forks to see the diner and the house had him changing his mind and committing to do whatever was necessary; it was perfect._

 _The little town, its sweet, welcoming occupants, and the diner was everything he'd hoped for as both a job for Renee and a distraction for him when he wasn't away on deployment._

 _He'd secured a small apartment in the city, so Renee and Bella could come and stay sometimes, and they'd packed up their life to move it across the country._

 _Eighteen-month-old Sparky completed their little family perfectly and had bonded with young Bella throughout the journey between Jacksonville and Forks; by the time they'd arrived and begun unloading, the pair were inseparable._

" _Bella, baby girl, do you need to go potty?" Renee called with a light laugh when Sparky heard the word 'potty' and darted into the bushes to relieve himself._

" _No, Mommy! No potty!" Bella giggled, chubby little legs pumping to carry her across the lawn and up the porch steps._

 _The new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, watched from their porch swing across the street as the burly soldier set down the chair to swing the toddler around, her squeals carrying over the road and bringing smiles to the faces of the elderly couple._

" _They seem like a nice little family," Mrs. Morgan murmured, squeezing her husband's hand where it rested on her knee. "We should go over and introduce ourselves."_

" _Hmmm."_

 _Mrs. Morgan – Lily – smiled at his grunt. "That was us once, William. Lots of times, in fact. We've moved into enough new towns and cities to know how rough it can be when you don't know anybody."_

 _Retired Lieutenant William Morgan huffed, rolling his head to face his wife. Her light green eyes were alight with happiness at the possibility of new friends, and her lips were curled up in a bright smile; the same smile he'd fallen in love with some fifty-five years ago at an on-base gala._

" _Oh, all right." He heaved himself up, clutching the eagle-shaped brass handle of his walking stick as Lily squeaked and stood. "But no dithering on. We'll introduce ourselves and then come right home." He pointed an arthritic finger at her beaming grin and tried to look stern. "I've got a meatloaf resting in the oven and I don't want it spoiling."_

"The Morgans took that photo, didn't they? What were their names, again?"

"William and Lily," Bella reminded her mother with a fond smile. "Lily's still here – in the nursing home."

Much to William's consternation, he and Lily _hadn't_ just popped over and then left. In fact, his meatloaf hadn't been eaten at all, because Renee had insisted on feeding them and by the time they'd returned home, it had indeed spoiled.

Still, despite the death of his meatloaf, William and Lily had become close friends to Phil, Renee, and Bella. Lily had even taken on the role as unofficial grandmother, often borrowing the little girl to bake cookies on Sunday afternoons or to take her to feed the ducks at the park. When William passed away two years ago at the ripe age of ninety-three, Bella had been in the very front pew clutching Lily's hand and bawling her eyes out.

"A family lives in our old house now." Bella could tell from the way Renee's eyes widened that she knew which house she meant. "They've added an extension to the back for a couple more bedrooms. I think they've got three or four kids."

As Renee shifted uncomfortably in her seat, Charlie draped his arm around her shoulders. Bella pulled her eyes away from them, allowing her parents a semi-private moment even in a room full of people. Abruptly, she felt bad for discussing the old house; she knew it reminded her mom of Phil and the life they'd led there until he died. Even though Bella knew her mom had found happiness again with Charlie, their time apart having matured them from the teen parents they'd been when they separated, it had to hurt to think of that little house and the happiness they'd shared there.

"I'm just going to grab a drink," Bella mumbled. "Mom, Dad, Leah…can I get you anything?"

They all shook their heads, so she quickly unfolded herself from the seat and headed to the kitchen. There, with her hands splayed on the counter top and her head bowed, she sucked in greedy breaths.

An unavoidable side effect of having felt the loss of a loved one to war was that she knew what it felt like to get that knock on the door. She remembered the solemn face of the man who'd come to tell her Phil had been killed.

Harvey Nolan. That was his name. The Casualty Notification Officer who'd come to the door, hat and folded American flag in hand.

Bella had answered the door, with Renee close behind her. It was one week before Phil was due to come home from his short deployment to Afghanistan to oversee an important shipment. Short deployments like that almost never happened, especially not for a colonel like Phil, but he'd been asked to go with the unit he'd served with during his last tour.

When Harvey Nolan arrived on the doorstep he found a mother and daughter decorating the house for a hero's return.

He drove away four hours later leaving behind a widow and a broken-hearted daughter.

Despite adoring her dad, Charlie, Bella had never thought of Phil as anything other than another dad. She'd called him 'Papa' for as long as she could remember and when people asked, she told them she was lucky enough to have an extra dad in Phil. Hearing that he'd been killed on what was supposed to be a simple trip had shattered her.

 _I can't do that again, I can't._

"Can't do what, sweetheart? Bella, what's going on?"

"Mom!" Bella gasped, spinning to face her mom's wide eyes and tight grimace.

"Bella, tell me. What's going on? Is something wrong?"

Collapsing into her mother's arms, Bella let out a long breath. "I'm just…you know what I get like. I'm just emotional."

"I know you, you know? You're my daughter, Bella. I changed your diapers and dried your eyes when you got your heart broken by a boy for the first time." Pulling back to cup her daughter's face, Renee brushed a lone tear from Bella's cheek with her thumb. "Baby girl, I saw it written all over your face when we were talking about the old house."

Not for the first time in her life, Bella wished her mom could have been less intuitive, or that she could have developed a better mechanism for hiding her emotions.

"Mom, I—"

"No, baby, listen to me. What happened to us and to Phil, it isn't going to happen to you and—"

The slamming of car doors on the drive cut off Renee's words. Bella's frown melted away and was replaced with a smile full of relief as Renee stepped away and squealed quietly. "Is that them?"

Bella didn't need to answer.

The door slammed open and a voice called, "Honey, we're ho-ome!"

* * *

 **Don't forget - there's now a group on Facebook called** Enchanted By Emmett **and I created it specifically for stories starring Emmett as our main man. Please feel free to join us there.**

 **Also, I'll be posting teasers on both my personal and author Facebook pages -** Ciara Shaye Chapman **and** Ciara Shayee - Author **, respectively. You're more than welcome to come find me :)**

xo


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Slightly longer update today, and a bit earlier, too, as  
I'm ready for work early :)**

 **Thank you, as always, to** annaharding **for looking  
** **this over for me and just being generally brilliant!**

 **And thank you to all of YOU for reading and reviewing!  
I'm doing my best to get back to them all, but working in retail  
at this time of year is just...blergh. I'll get to them all at some point,  
I promise.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2005 – The Christmas Party**_

When Bella managed to drag her deer-in-headlights self from the stage, the first thing she did was gulp half a bottle of water from the table backstage for the performers. Then, she took a deep breath and considered her options.

Hide for the rest of the party, which would be pretty difficult considering she was at least partially responsible for it, or confront Emmett.

A few things were starting to click into place – the ' _little darlin'_ ' Emmett had drawled down the phone and Maggie May bragging about her handsome date – and Bella felt a mixture of foolishness and excitement spreading through her veins.

Deciding she had nothing to lose, Bella hurried off the stage and made her way out to the main area in search of Emmett.

She hadn't counted on, well, _everyone_ wanting to congratulate her on her amazing performance or speak to her about the foundation.

By the time she'd done the rounds Emmett was still nowhere to be found and Bella was fed up. Even Maggie May was nowhere to be seen.

"You failed to mention that you're a closet Beyonce," a gruff voice suddenly murmured in her ear.

Bella spun too fast and stumbled, finding herself steadied by a warm pair of large, familiar hands on her waist. Emmett gazed down at her, his eyes a beautiful royal blue in the low lighting, his smile small but unsure.

"Emmett…" she breathed. "I…I'm not…umm—"

His chuckle cut her off as he reached up to rake a hand through his hair. "You look pleased to see me. After this morning, I figured you wouldn't want to see me ever again."

A rosy flush spread over Bella's cheeks. She bowed her head and bit her lip, annoyed with herself because she already knew, without asking, that she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion that morning. Just to prove her point, Maggie May wobbled over and looped her arm through Emmett's.

"Isabella, dear, you were absolutely marvelous!"

"Thank you, Maggie May," Bella murmured, leaning in to kiss Maggie May's cheek when she offered it. "I see your handsome date arrived."

Emmett's eyes danced between Maggie May tucked into his side and Bella's amused but embarrassed smirk. "'Handsome date,' huh?"

Maggie tutted. "Don't give us that, soldier. I may be old, but I can see just fine."

As she watched Maggie May reach up to give Emmett's face an affectionate pat, Bella belatedly realized…

"You shaved!"

Emmett blinked a few times before his smile curled into a smirk. Bella immediately replayed her words in her head and felt her heart stumble over a beat.

 _Shit._

Maggie May's eyes bounced between Emmett and Bella's faces, a knowing little smile on her red lips and a twinkle in her eyes. "I was going to introduce you, but it appears you've already met."

Mouthing "Sorry," to Emmett while Maggie May was looking at him, Bella plastered an innocent look on her face. "Emmett came into the diner last night for a coffee and some cookies."

 _And then came home with me for after-snacks nookie._

"Oh, _really_?"

"Bella was kind enough to look after me when I rocked up, freezing cold and covered in snow," Emmett agreed, shooting her a wink.

"Well, there's nowhere in Forks that serves a better cookie than Bella's."

Heat curled in the pit of Bella's stomach when she saw the smoldering look in Emmett's eyes. There was no way to know for sure, but she was fairly certain it wasn't the memory of her homemade cookies that had Emmett's eyes darkening. They were good, but they weren't sexy-smolder good.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Maggie May," Emmett rumbled, setting every nerve in Bella's body on fire.

"You know, I've got something of a sweet tooth craving right about now. I'll be over at the buffet table if you need me."

Bella and Emmett barely noticed the mischievous grin on Maggie May's face as she hobbled away, leaving them at the side of the dance floor just as a song they both recognized began to play.

For the longest moment, neither of them moved or said a word.

Then, "Ma'am, may I have the honor of this dance?"

A shiver rippled down Bella's spine, Emmett's Texan drawl eliciting a delicious mixture of want, girlish delight, and wistfulness. Hearing him speak to her like that, in his rumbling Southern accent, reminded her of the way he'd cussed like a sailor and continued to use it to charm her even once he'd gotten her into bed.

"S-sure," Bella sputtered, mentally smacking herself as Emmett flashed his dimples and gently led her out onto the dance floor.

Her skin burned where his hands came to rest. He took one of her hands in his, resting his other palm on her hip as they began to sway together. For the first time, Bella saw a hint of nervousness in his otherwise confident veneer, his eyes just a touch unsure.

"Why did you freak out on me this morning?"

For a few moments, Bella listened to Norah Jones singing about walking on a cloudy day in fields of knee-high yellow grass.

"I thought you were married," she finally mumbled.

Emmett's eyes widened, his eyebrows just about crawling up into his hairline. " _Married?_ After last night? You really thought I'd have spent the night with you, _doing what we did_ , if I was married? _Where_ did you even get that idea?"

"Well, you answered the phone to your 'little darlin''," Emmett snorted a laugh at her awful attempt at his accent, mashing his lips together when she shot him an aggravated grimace. "I just…I don't _know_ ," Bella whined, knowing she sounded ridiculously insecure and paranoid. "You're just so… _you_. How could you _not_ be married?"

Bella moved into Emmett and rested her beet red face against his shirt-clad chest, for the second time that day wishing the ground would open up and swallow her, so she wouldn't have to face the misery of embarrassing herself in front of this man.

A handful of seconds passed before Emmett's chest heaved under her face in a long sigh. He let go of her hand, gently guiding her chin up until she was gazing into his so-very-pretty blue eyes.

 _So-very-pretty and incredibly amused eyes._

"I'm gonna tell Maggie May you're jealous of her."

And that…was not what Bella expected him to say.

Her mouth fell open, his eyes darting down to her lips before jumping back up to her eyes with a question written clearly within them.

"Yes," Bella breathed. Emmett didn't need to be told twice.

He dipped down and stole her breath with a reverence that made Bella's chest ache, her eyes sliding shut as he kissed her into hopeless oblivion. When he finally did pull away just enough for her to catch her breath, Bella found herself grateful for the grip he had on her waist; if it weren't for his support, she was pretty sure she'd have melted into a puddle of goo on the parquet floor.

"I'm not—" _Well that's not right._ Bella cleared her throat, blinking slowly at Emmett's smug smile. "I'm not jealous."

"Hm. Well, still. I think my _wife_ ought to know that she's got some healthy competition."

"Competition, huh? Is that what I am?"

Emmett shrugged, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of Bella's nose before resuming their slow circuit around the floor. "I mean, you're leading all the polls so far. Early results are looking good for you."

A bubble of laughter burst from Bella's lips. "The polls?" She shook her head, wondering if she'd ever felt this giddy before. Something told her that she hadn't, and this girly giddiness was exclusive to her reactions to Emmett. "You know, I'm kind of a big deal around here. Maybe I should do a poll, too."

Emmett's dimples deepened. "Miss Bella, why do I get the feeling there's a lot more to you than meets the eye? First, you lure me in with your delicious cookies. Then, you drag me back to your—"

" _Drag you_? I don't recall any kicking and screaming!" Bella cried, giggling and pretending to zip her lips when Emmett hushed her. Instead of returning her hands to his shoulders, Bella let them roam up to the fine, soft hair at the nape of his neck; she could just about reach it without having to stretch onto her tiptoes, and Emmett hummed in pleasure at the feel of her nails lightly scratching his neck.

"Shhh, you. Like I said, you _dragged_ me back to your house and took advantage of my easily-led nature."

Bella garnered smiles from some of their fellow dancers as she tipped her head back and let out an incredulous laugh. "I'd be offended by what you're insinuating if I didn't know, just as well as you do, that there was no 'taking advantage,' on either of our parts."

Smirking, Emmett continued, "And then, you shock the ever-loving-shit outta me with that song…" Cocking his head slightly, Emmett's expression grew a little more serious. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

"I've always liked to sing," Bella admitted softly. "I used to be in the school dance group, but with my two left feet I was basically handicapped."

"Hey, you're doing all right now," Emmett pointed out.

"We're just walking around in circles," Bella snorted. "I took a few kick-boxing classes in Port Angeles a few years back, just to put my mom's mind at ease about me living here alone when she moved to Utah. I guess it did the trick and cured me of my clumsiness. Singing, though…when I was eleven, one of my teachers caught me singing while I tidied up after an after-school club. She talked me into performing at the Christmas party that year, and I enjoyed it so much I've done it every year since."

Looking pensive, Emmett hummed. He led her around for a little while longer, both of them content to just lean on one another and enjoy the atmosphere. The music was soft and cheery, smiles on the faces of the people all around them. As she turned her face to rest her cheek over Emmett's heart, Bella was surprised to realize it was beating just as hard and fast as her own. Emmett was warm and solid, a gentle but steady guide as they moved around the dance floor as one unit, the whole of her body lined up with his. Not once did Bella panic she was about to step on his foot or make a wrong move; she trusted him implicitly to lead her.

"Your stepdad…you were close."

Emmett couldn't help but feel warmed by the fond smile that curled Bella's lips at the mention of Phil as she peered up at him briefly before resting her cheek against his chest once more.

"We were. He married Mom when I was three, just before we moved here, and he was an amazing father. I mean, don't get me wrong, my biological dad Charlie is wonderful, too." She shook her head, her dark eyes a million miles away. "I always used to brag that I had two dads – Dad, and Papa Phil."

The sigh that stole away her smile put a rock in the pit of Emmett's stomach and a lump in his throat. "You were lucky to have them both. Does Charlie live near here? Your mom is in Utah, right?"

"Mmhmmm, Mom's in Pleasant Grove. Dad still lives down in California, where I was born."

"Man, that had to be rough. California and Washington…they're a little different."

Bella tipped her head up to face him, her happy eyes and smile returning. "Understatement of the century, but I don't really remember living in California, anyway. Dad used to come visit me here most of the time, and the few times we went to see him in California just felt like vacations rather than going home."

Emmett had been in a few relationships, but he'd never understood when happily married people tried to explain how amazing it felt to just... _be_. As they swayed around the dance floor amongst happy faces, Christmas classics serenading them and a beautiful smile on Bella's face as she told him about her childhood, her life as a military kid, Emmett couldn't help but marvel over how comfortable he felt. His three previous girlfriends had never gotten past a handful of casual dates, his busy schedule and demanding deployments making him reticent to get too attached.

In his years as a soldier, Emmett had met and served with many men and women with families back home. Serving for his country was an honor, of course, but it was also dangerous, hard work, and not for the faint-hearted. He couldn't imagine heading off to war and leaving behind a wife and children; it just didn't seem like something he could do.

Gazing down at Bella as they made a slow loop of the dance floor in The Lodge's largest conference hall, Emmett couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever find The One he'd give anything for; the one he'd be so unable to give up completely that he'd let her get past a casual string of dates and try to make a life with her, despite his commitments to the military.

Then Bella lifted her head with a beautiful twinkle her in coffee-bean eyes and a wide, enchanting smile, and he realized that he'd inexplicably found her in this tiny, snow-covered town.

 **~ oOo ~**

Bella was stolen away for a dance with her neighbor's son, so Emmett headed over to the bar and fetched himself a beer and a glass of wine for Bella.

Luckily, there was a table free near to where little Tommy Richards was dancing with Bella, so he took a seat and settled in to admire the view. His eyes were soft and crinkled with his smile as they followed Bella's joyous grin.

She was glowing.

The lights caught her sequined dress and made her sparkle, a few loose tendrils of her hair cascading down to frame her heart-shaped face. As she spoke to Tommy, her lips moving but her words indistinguishable over the music and happiness of the other guests, Emmett couldn't help but look down at Tommy's wide smile. He adored her, it was easy to see, and as Emmett's gaze did a brief lap of the people around the duo, he realized that Tommy wasn't the only one.

Not that she seemed to realize, but Bella had captured and retained the attention of all around her. That smile coupled with that sinfully fitted but innocently alluring dress proved irresistible not just to Emmett or Tommy, but to many others, too. And when she'd sung…

Tears unexpectedly stabbed at the backs of his eyes as Emmett remembered it. She'd been utterly captivating up there on the stage, her gaze a million miles away as she'd sung to all those who'd served and lost their lives to war. Maggie May had requested a drink just before the children's dance group finished their performance, but the bar was rammed, and Emmett had listened to the first part of the song from there before managing to get back to his seat in time to hear the last half.

When he'd recognized Bella up there, he'd been stunned stupid. Her beauty combined with her talent had rendered him incapable of doing anything until the music trailed off and his legs automatically catapulted him up to full height, his hands moving to start the applause before his mind could catch up with his actions.

Then, she'd spotted him. Right there in the front row. He reached up to rub his chest, remembering her admitting during their dance that he was sitting right where Phil used to. Her shocked gaze had seared him to his core, but the pride at her performance and the joy at being just feet away when he'd resigned himself to never seeing her again over-rode every emotion other than sweet relief. Leaving that morning while she was showering had killed him a little inside; he hadn't wanted to go without speaking to her and figuring out what had spooked her, because it was clear something had, but she'd been pretty clear in her wish for him to leave.

Plus, Maggie May was waiting.

Maggie May had been his beloved Nana's best friend since high school, so Emmett had grown up with her on the perimeter of his life. However, it wasn't until shortly before he was due to ship out for basic training that their bond had really developed. She'd come to visit him at Nana Carmen's and they'd bonded over a shared love of Johnny Cash and her homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Throughout Emmett's first deployment, Maggie May had sent letters, emails, and care packages full of cookies and essentials. His Nana had, too, but after she died it was just Maggie May's that continued coming. He, and his comrades, had looked forward to their arrival. The cookies and her cheerful letters were the very best part of being out in the sandbox with only each other, guns, and their enemies for company.

Beside Edward, Maggie May was Emmett's very best friend. She was cuckoo, a little eccentric, and she doted on him far more than he had any right to expect, but he loved the little old woman and her bright, everlasting smile.

 _Speaking of Maggie May…_

"She's something, isn't she?"

Emmett jumped at Maggie May's voice right in his ear. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, offering the impishly-grinning woman a small, silly, dimpled smile. "Yeah. Bella's…amazing."

Maggie May released a high laugh and sat heavily in the chair beside him, her stick clanging against the table. "I worried about you last night, you know. But I see now that I didn't need to. You were most definitely in safe hands with Isabella."

"I—uh, I wasn't—Maggie—" Emmett sputtered.

The elderly woman shook her head with a beaming, toothy smile. Her eyes were happy and matched her grin. "Oh, pssh. I raised four strapping sons and I know when I'm being told a fib, Mr. McCarty." She leaned in, as though telling a secret. "I nipped out yesterday evening hoping to beat you back, but much to my surprise, guess whose truck was parked at the diner?"

Emmett felt his ears burning. "You _knew_?"

"Of course! I'm not silly, Emmett, dear. I saw your truck and you two inside talking. When I didn't hear from you, I assumed you'd found somewhere else to lay your head."

Earlier, when Emmett arrived to collect Maggie May for their day of pre-Christmas date activities, he'd apologized profusely for not stopping by the previous evening. Maggie May had brushed off his apologies with a sparkly-eyed smile and distracted him with a plate of sugar cookies and a flask of hot chocolate. Her behavior suddenly made sense now, though; all along, while Emmett had been explaining how he'd gotten into town late and fallen into his motel bed exhausted, she'd known exactly where he'd been and with whom.

"Maggie, I—"

"Don't apologize, young man," she waved her hand, her many rings sending prisms of light bouncing this way and that. "I know young love when I see it. Just promise me one thing."

Sobering, Emmett nodded solemnly.

"If you decide to take things further with that young lady? Don't break her heart. She's had enough heartbreak to last many lifetimes. She deserves a man who'd give her the world."

Emmett's eyes danced over to Bella. She had Tommy in her arms now, their delighted laughter just about audible over the Christmas music, their matching smiles miles-wide and so very soul-warming. It was a beautiful sight, but Emmett suddenly saw a flash of blond curls instead of Tommy's red and a dimpled grin in place of his lop-sided smile. His future.

Without a shadow of doubt or hesitance in his expression or heart, Emmett faced Maggie May's expectant, knowing little smile and managed one of his own. "Ma'am, if Bella will have me, I'll do my very best to give her the world, the moon, and the stars."


	6. Chapter 6

**I LOVE how many of you were loving on Maggie May after  
her conversation with Emmett 3**

 **To answer a few of you (because work was HELL yesterday and I  
barely got a chance to read the reviews let alone respond, although  
I WILL get to them at some point) I've gotten a bit bored of reading the  
same prankster, whinging, pushy-brother Emmett. I wanted a sweeter,  
more sensitive soul - that's where this Emmett came in.**

 **Huge loves to** annaharding **for being her awesome self and not complaining  
once about this story being thrown on her or the fact that I'm rush posting  
it a chapter a day. I owe you, big time!**

 **Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. I'm planning  
to try and respond day-to-day but please know that if I don't, I'll  
respond to them all once the crazy busy period at work is over with -  
so most likely Christmas Eve after I post the last chapter.**

 **All right, my little loves...back to 2017 now so you can finally  
find out who it was arriving at the end of C4 ;)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017**_

"Eeeeee, my babies are here!"

Renee took off for the foyer. By the time Bella joined her, Charlie, Leah, and the children were there, too.

"Mom, save me!" Bella's eldest yelped as Renee squished his cheeks together.

"Oh, no, pal," she sighed instead, leaning in the doorway with a wide, relieved smile on her face. There was nothing nicer than having her babies home. Just laying eyes on them smashed the rock in the pit of her stomach into dust. "Nana's missed you!"

Renee peppered her grandson's face with kisses until he was pink in the face before moving onto his younger brother, leaving him to lope into his mom's outstretched arms.

"I've missed you, too, Mac," Bella whispered into his mop of curly blond hair.

Mac sighed and pulled back, offering his mom a small, slightly lop-sided smile. "I missed you, Mom. We were only gone a few days, though."

Taking in her son's mop of hair, cheeky grin, and the way he seemed to have shot up at least a few inches in the last three days, Bella shook her head and pulled him back in for another hug. "A few days too long, baby boy. Did you have fun, though?"

Mac launched into a recount of the three days he and his siblings had just spent with his paternal uncle, aunt, and cousins, then the day they'd spent in Seattle before travelling back into Forks with friends. Bella couldn't help but hold him to her as he spoke; it may only have been three days, but she'd missed his voice.

His, and his brother's and sister's voices.

"Mama, Mama, Mama!"

Mac chuckled and side-stepped his sister's speedy advance, letting Bella scoop her up and snuggle her tight.

"Hey, baby girl! Did you have fun? Did you miss me?"

"I did! Wots and wots!"

Bella covered her daughter's face in noisy kisses, keeping her settled on her hip as her middle child escaped Renee and charged over to his mom.

"Emilia, you're hogging Mom!" he told his giggling little sister.

Shaking her head, Bella yanked both boys in, so they could share a group hug. "Don't be silly, Teddy. There's plenty Mom to go around. Now, give me some loves before I have to share you with everyone."

The nerves that had been bubbling away in Bella's gut all day abated almost completely with the arrival of her three babies. Mac, Teddy, and Emilia brought the smiles, laughter, and noisiness she'd been missing for the days since they left to visit their paternal family. She'd been unable to travel with them, her commitments to the foundation and Christmas party keeping her in Forks, but she'd been in regular contact with her brother-in-law and the children. Still, phone calls didn't beat the real deal.

Once she'd nipped outside to thank the Kennedys for being kind enough to ferry her children back from Seattle with them, Bella ran back inside and set about making fresh mugs of hot chocolate for everybody. Mac, Teddy, and Emilia melted straight into the group, joining Leah's four children on the floor around the coffee table to decorate the little baubles and wooden shapes Bella bought for the tree; the selection to choose from included gingerbread men, reindeer, and everyone's favourite: snowmen.

Renee and Charlie hadn't seen their grandchildren for months, so they monopolized their attention and took dozens of photos, Bella smiling and snapping images of her own nearby. She was almost completely content now, with her babies home and all but one of her loved ones within hug and kiss distance.

 _If only…_

 **~ oOo ~**

"S'it good to have us home, Mom?"

Bella sighed and brushed Teddy's dark hair back from his face. "It's better than 'good,' sweetpea. I've missed you all so very much."

He grinned sleepily, flashing a dimple. "You're being all mushy. You're always mushy when— _yawn_ —Dad's away."

She couldn't help it – her smile fell, just a little. Luckily, Teddy was well past noticing, his eyes drooping more and more by the second. "I'm sorry, baby. I just love you all a whole lot. I like to have you home for snuggles _all the time_."

Teddy managed a sleepy giggle when Bella tickled his neck and blew a raspberry on his cheek. " _Mom_ ," he whined, following it up with a loud yawn.

"All right, all right. I'll leave you to sleep. I love you, Teddy."

"Love you more, Mom."

"I love you mostest. More than the stars and the moon."

Teddy was already asleep. Bella took the opportunity to just…watch. At six years old, Teddy was at the age where he wanted to look cool – especially with a three-years-older brother to look up to. He couldn't stand being babied in front of Mac or his school friends, so Bella liked to take advantage of his sleepiness and the fact that he'd been away for a few days and missed her to love on him as much as possible. After planting one last kiss to his forehead, Bella stood and left the room, leaving the door ajar before heading next door to Emilia's room.

It was an explosion of pink camo and all things army princess. Even her bed sat below a pink camo tent complete with a small American flag. Emilia had fallen asleep sprawled across Charlie some hours ago and hadn't even stirred when Bella carried her up the stairs, undressed her, and got her settled in her bed. She was exactly like her father and slept like the dead once she was out.

After making sure Emilia was all tucked in and her nightlight was switched on, Bella gave her a quick kiss and crossed the hall. Mac was still awake, but just barely. He was sitting on the window seat overlooking their street, already in his Seahawks pajamas.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Mac tossed a smile over his shoulder, patting the seat for Bella to join him and shuffling forward. With a smile, she eased herself into the spot behind him and looped her arms around his torso, resting her chin on his shoulder and gazing out at the falling snow. They'd spent many a night here, in this exact seat, since his birth nine years ago.

Memories of sitting there well into the night when he struggled with colic, of midnight feedings and bed time stories, filtered through Bella's mind as sparkling snowflakes fluttered past the window.

"It's so pretty," she breathed. "We're lucky to live somewhere so beautiful."

"Mmhmm," Mac agreed. "Mom…"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Never-mind. It was a dumb question."

Bella hugged Mac tighter, kissing his hair. "No question is dumb, baby. Go on, what were you going to ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking…we can see the moon, right? When the clouds move, anyway. Do you think Dad can see it, too?"

Bella's thoughts jumped back to earlier in the day, when she'd been wondering the very same thing. "It's day time over there now, Mac," she said softly. "But I bet he saw it before he went to sleep. The very same moon."

Mac huffed a quiet laugh. "Always remember, we're under the same sky looking at the same moon…that's what Dad always says, right?"

"Right, baby," Bella pressed a kiss to the side of her son's head. "Wherever we are, wherever Dad is, we're always looking at the same moon."

The kids had grown up with their dad having to go away sometimes so they understood it, but there were times when they got upset, and it was then that the poem their dad told them was comforting. They loved the reminder that they could look up at the moon and know their dad was looking at the same one.

Mac's body shuddered with a long yawn; Bella smiled and gave him a squeeze. "Come on, baby. Bed time. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

As he unfolded his crossed legs and stood up to stretch his long arms with a drowsy smile, Mac nodded. "Right, the Christmas party. Did you get our shirts?"

Bella couldn't help but smile as he admitted, "Yep, got 'em. You and Teddy are going to look so handsome."

"Cool."

Mac was 'too big' to be tucked in, but he let Bella give him one last hug and kiss on the cheek before he climbed into his bed and got comfortable.

"Night, Mom."

Mac was almost asleep already, his eyelids drooping as she flicked the light switch and pulled the door closed and whispered, "Night, baby. Sweet dreams."

Downstairs, Renee was tucked into Charlie's side on the sofa, their voices soft and their smiles, content. Leah and her brood had gone home before Bella took her trio to bed, so the house was quiet as Bella sank into an armchair opposite her parents and let out a happy little sigh.

"They're all so _big_ now!" Renee breathed, shaking her head.

"I know. I swear they shoot up six inches every night." Bella's eyes moved to the mantle over the crackling fire, where a quartet of framed Christmas pictures sat in a row.

 _ **~ oOo ~**_

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2007**_

 _Snow fell slowly, the glass walls of the sunroom making it feel as though it was snowing inside. Wreaths of pine, eucalyptus sprays, small bunches of fern, and ivy scented the room; coupled with the cinnamon sticks within the garlands, the overall effect was a uniquely Christmassy smell and appearance. The arch at the head of the room was twined with thin silver ribbon, the chairs facing it all covered with light swaths of silvery fabric. All the guests had been ushered to their seats and were awaiting the main event with hushed, excited whispers and broad smiles._

 _A soft, light melody began to play as three children – her new nephews and niece – stepped into the aisle. The copper-haired little boys each held one of the smaller girl's hands, her golden hair topped with a sparkling silver tiara. When they reached the arch, they offered bright smiles to the two men standing there – one who looked perfectly happy, one who looked a little nervous._

 _Then, a new tune started. Sweet, gentle, and enchanting, it preceded the arrival of a suited man and a blushing bride. They walked up the aisle arm-in-arm until the reverend asked who would give this woman to this man. Charlie smiled tearfully down at his daughter, kissing her head before placing her hand in atop the hand of her chosen husband-to-be._

 _Throughout the ceremony, many tears were shed, and smiles were shared. The brightest grins of all belonged to the bride and groom. Their eyes shone as they stood hand-in-hand, barely listening to Reverend Weber's words until they reached the important ones._

 _I do._

 _I do._

 _Then, you may now kiss your bride._

 _He leaned in and whispered, "I love you, darlin'," cameras flashing as their lips came together for the first time as Mr. and Mrs._

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2008**_

" _Come on, come on!" Renee cheered, waving Bella over._

 _She scooped two-month-old baby Mac from his bassinet and pressed kisses to his chubby cheeks as she took her place beside her husband, right in front of the Christmas tree. He gazed down at her and the content baby with a wide, happy grin, leaning in for a kiss as he murmured, "Merry Christmas, darlin'."_

 _Renee's camera flashed, capturing the perfect moment forever._

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2011**_

" _Teddy? Shit, where's Teddy? Teddy!"_

" _I got him, darlin'."_

 _Bella beamed as her husband and eleven-month-old son joined her in front of the tree. "Come on, it's picture time."_

" _Our littlest soldier decided it was time to make his great escape out the dog door."_

 _Teddy offered his mother a wide, two-toothy grin as she brushed his messy chocolate hair back from his eyes and wiped a smear of chocolate from his cheek. "Tok-tok!"_

" _Yeah, baby boy," she giggled, catching Mac when he charged head-first toward her. "You can have choc-choc after the picture."_

" _Me, too, Mama!"_

" _Of course, Mac. You, too."_

 _Now three years old, Mac was looking more and more like his father every single day, right down to the impish grin he wore as Bella planted a loud kiss on his cheek and settled him on her hip._

 _Renee disentangled herself from Charlie's arms – even after three months of her parents being back together, Bella found it a little odd to see them so affectionate – and grabbed her camera from the coffee table. "All right, everybody! Say 'Christmas tree!'"_

 _Bella felt her entire body warm at the sound of her husband's chuckle, the heat of his arm seeping through her silly reindeer sweater as he looped his arm around her back in time for their cheered "Christmas tree!"_

 _The camera flashed, and it was another joyous family Christmas captured forever on film._

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2013**_

 _Frank Sinatra crooned through the sound system; he was accompanied by squeals of delight and baby babbles._

" _Mama, Daddy, wook! A weindeer!"_

" _Yeah, buddy," Teddy squealed as he was swung up into the air by his beloved daddy. "Is it Rudolph?"_

 _Mac huffed and shot his dad a withering look. Now aged five, Mac thought everyone was stupid if they didn't know something he did. "Daddy, don't be silly. Rudolph is busy helping Santa finish deliverin' presents!"_

 _Bella appeared in the doorway, camera in one hand, six-month-old baby girl in the other arm, and Renee at her side. "It's picture time, boys!"_

 _The little family of five gathered in front of the Christmas tree for the traditional picture. Mac stood in front of his parents on a step stool, Teddy happy in his father's arms while Bella bounced Emilia to quiet her fussing._

" _Ready?" Renee sang from behind the camera, peeking over the top to check they were all in place._

" _Ready, Mom. Quick, take it before she starts screaming again," Bella laughed, sighing with relief when the flashes made Emilia giggle and Renee declared the photo 'the best one yet.'_

 **~ oOo ~**

Tears gathered on Bella's lashes as she stared at them, her four all-time favorite Christmases, each one of them so very special to her.

It broke her heart to know that this years would be missing one very important person. Moving from a family of four to a family of five when Emilia arrived was difficult; harder even than she'd imagined.

But moving back down to a family of four was a million times worse.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! So after a 4am start at work this morning,  
I ALMOST forgot to post this *shock horror!* and  
the latest chapter of Neapolitan, which will be up in  
a few once I've update this.**

 **So...you're all in love with Maggie May, and  
most of you are totally on board with Emmett now  
after an initially hesitant start. I'm glad I seem to have  
converted atleast a few of you ;) I'm also very glad  
that the flashbacks haven't been an issue.**

 **Huge thank you to** annaharding **for being the bestest  
friend ever and never complaining when I send her chapters  
at stupid times of day and night. You're the bees knees -and  
yes, that's a british saying ;)**

 **Also, big thank yous to all of you for reading and replying  
\- and recc'ing! I've had a couple people PM saying they've been  
sent here by various people.**

 **Anyways, I'll let you get on and read now. Happy Thursday!**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **January 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2007**_

The weight of the upcoming months weighed heavily on Bella as she dragged herself out of bed and forced herself not to simply stare at Emmett; somehow, he was still sleeping.

Bella had woken up quarter to four and been completely unable to get back to sleep since. Now, at six, she knew it was pointless to continue trying. They had an hour before they'd need to be in the truck and heading for Seattle. She'd spent months preparing herself for this day but it all went to shit the second she stepped into the shower and saw the space on the shelf beside her shower gel; Emmett had packed his already.

"Oh, God," Bella choked, her hand slapping the tile as she tried to steady herself. Bella thought she'd prepared herself for not being able to share showers with him each morning, but seeing that empty spot, knowing there would be no soapy pretend arguments over her using his shower gel instead of her own when she ran out, hit her like a sledgehammer to the gut.

"Hey, hey," Emmett slipped into the shower behind her, enveloping her body in his arms just as her legs gave way. He carefully lowered them both until she was curled around him, their bodies wet and sliding against one another, but there was nothing sexual about the embrace. Sadness laced Bella's touches as her hands desperately stroked over his broad shoulders, down his back, and around to his toned abs and defined pectorals.

He sighed and held her as tight as possible, pressing kisses to her head. She was breaking his heart, but he knew there was no point trying to smother her tears; this separation was just as inevitable as the sobs now wracking her body. The only thing he could do was try to comfort her for as long as he was able.

"Bella, darlin', you're breaking my heart," he eventually croaked around the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered, pulling back to gaze up at him. Her huge doe eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and excessive crying, a river of tears joining the water splashing down over their bodies. A shiver tore up Emmett's spine despite the shower being hot enough to create a cloud of steam around them. He reached up to cradle her face between his large palms as her legs tightened around his waist, her ankles locking at the base of his spine.

He could feel her unspoken _don't leave me, don't go_ , but he didn't have a choice. Orders were orders, and his put him on a plane to hell in five hours.

"Darlin'—"

"I'm okay. Well, I will be. _God, I'm a mess_ ," she muttered, angrily wiping the waterfall from her cheeks with a tremulous smile.

Bella's attempt to comfort Emmett when her heart was clearly breaking made his chest ache something fierce. She looked so small, so vulnerable, that the thought of leaving her had nausea churning his gut.

"You're a beautiful mess," Emmett murmured, managing the first smile of the morning since waking up alone and stumbling, bleary-eyed, into the bathroom to find Bella having a breakdown in the shower. "And that's why I love you, darlin'."

He watched as Bella visibly bolstered herself. A steely glint darkened her eyes and she straightened on his lap, winding her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. "I love you, Bear."

 _Bear…_

Emmett lunged forward and captured her lips in a bruising kiss, his hands everywhere all at once. Her hair, her breasts, her thighs, her waist…he couldn't stop touching her. She'd nicknamed him Bear after their first mini vacation.

" _Gah, Emmett! Put me down!"_

 _Emmett growled and tossed her over his shoulder, giving her butt a pat as he loped through the forest toward their cabin. They'd picked the most secluded cabin in the area on purpose, the towering trees and rushing river creating the perfect, sun-speckled canopy for their antics. They'd skinny-dipped in the cool water and hiked until their legs ached, made love on a lounger on the deck under the stars and eaten grilled burgers until they couldn't possibly manage another bite._

 _It was beyond magical._

 _When he finally reached the little clearing where their cabin sat, Emmett swung her down into his arms and cradled her bridal style all the way to the deck. She was red-faced and panting from laughter as she playfully slapped his bare chest before leaning in to kiss the same spot._

" _You're like a big, loveable bear."_

 _Emmett grinned, his dimples popping._

 _Bella shook her head with a light giggle. "You know what? That's what I'm going to call you. Bear. You're my big, strong, cuddly teddy bear."_

 _With a grunt, Emmett ducked to catch her lips in a quick kiss. Enough was enough; he couldn't keep those three little words in any longer. She gasped as he mumbled, "I love you," against her mouth._

 **~ oOo ~**

They made love in the shower before washing each other with reverent touches and stolen kisses. Their mood remained somber as they ate a quick breakfast and loaded Emmett's camouflage print bags into the truck bed. Emmett hesitated before tossing in the last one, leaning heavily on the tailgate.

Small, warm hands wound their way around his waist, sneaking up into his t-shirt to rest over his defined abs. Emmett shuddered as her chest pressed against his back; she kissed his spine as his as she could reach, right between his shoulder blades. Pain unlike any he'd felt before settled in his chest.

 _Shit. Why did I think I'd be able to do this?_

"Emmett…"

Bee-like stings burned his eyes as he desperately blinked back tears.

 _I can't do this. I can't leave her._

For the first time, Emmett sort of understood why men before him had been court-marshaled for disobeying their orders.

But he couldn't do that. He'd made a commitment and he was going to follow it through, even though it felt as though his heart was shattering.

Bella jumped behind him when he quickly slammed the tailgate into place, turning in her arms to press a hard kiss to her forehead. "It's time?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Emmett nodded tightly. "It's time."

 **~ oOo ~**

For weeks, they'd discussed whether it would be better for Emmett to drive out to the airport alone. Bella had eventually decided that no matter how hard it would be, she couldn't _not_ go to see him off. He'd argued at first, pointing out that he'd seen many traumatic farewells during his time as an active soldier, but Bella had won when she admitted that a big part of her reasoning was wanting to spend every last possible second with him before they had to spend ten long months apart.

When they reached the airport in Seattle, parked the truck, and headed inside hand-in-hand, Bella felt the stirrings of regret. By the time they made it to where they'd have to separate, Bella was a hive of nerves and tears threatening to overflow. When Emmett stopped and turned to face her, cradling her face between his hands and crouching slightly so they were eye-level, Bella lost the battle with her tears.

His eyes immediately clouded with sadness, his forever-smile replaced by a grimace. "Darlin', this is where I have to leave—"

Before he could finish speaking, Bella hopped neatly up to wrap her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and tucked her face between the slightly course material of the collar of his camo combat uniform and his neck. He was clean-shaven and she'd buzzed his hair off the previous evening, so Bella couldn't even take comfort in feeling his curls between her fingers. She clutched at him with desperate hands and pressed kisses to his neck, tears running over her cheeks.

"Promise you'll come back to me?"

"Bella, I can't—"

" _Promise me._ I can't let you go until you promise me you'll come back."

Bella felt the shudder that rippled through Emmett's frame. His hands tightened around her thighs where he held her against him. She knew he hated to make that promise; they'd talked about it before. But selfishly, she couldn't do it. She couldn't let go of him until he promised her he'd be back.

"I promise," he finally whispered, trembling as he kissed her temple and gently squeezed his hands to let her know he was putting her down.

Bella's legs shook as her feet returned to the floor, all the noise synonymous with the airport quieting to a dull fuzz as she gazed up at Emmett's face. He was the love of her life, her sunshine, laughter, and the reason she woke up every day wearing a smile.

And he was about to fly out to one of the most dangerous places on the planet where he'd eat, sleep, and breathe war.

Another onslaught of tears spilled over her cheeks as Emmett pressed butterfly kisses over her cheekbones, nose, forehead, and finally hesitated a hairs width from her lips.

"I love you, Bear," Bella whimpered.

"I love you, darlin'." Emmett's kiss became more forceful for a moment. His breaths were a little choppier, his grip on her waist tighter, and Bella realized…

 _He's already saying 'goodbye.'_

He'd _been_ saying 'goodbye' for days now. It was all there in his touches, his kisses, the way he stayed close while they cooked together or accompanied her to the grocery store even though she knew he hated it.

And then…he pulled back and it was _there_ , in his tear-filled blue eyes and the downward tilt of his lips.

"Don't. Don't say it," Bella pleaded. Understanding infused Emmett's gaze as he nodded, resting their foreheads together. "I can't…I can't bear to hear you say it."

"Then I won't." Something behind her caught Emmett's attention. She watched the sadness leak from his eyes as steely resolve took over his face. A quick glance behind her revealed a trio of men dressed similarly to Emmett walking toward them; their familiar faces and expressions were equally as grim as Emmett's.

Alec Alvarez, Harley Jameson, and Oliver Romero embraced Bella one after the other; Emmett refused to let go of her hand the entire time, so the hugs were awkward, but Bella didn't want to let go any more than Emmett did.

All over six feet tall wearing somber expressions and full army combat uniform, the men made an imposing group. Their fellow travelers shot them sympathetic glances, some even pausing to wish them well and thank them for serving. All the while, Bella fought to swallow the sobs threatening to spill out.

She saw the moment Emmett pulled his shield into place.

Alec clapped him on the shoulder and glanced at Bella. "Man, I think we gotta go."

Emmett nodded grimly and tugged Bella by the hand, stopping a few meters away from his comrades. With their hands linked between their bodies, the pair breathed deeply, inhaling the same air for the last time for ten months.

"Be safe, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Despite the maelstrom of emotion tearing her insides apart, Bella managed a weak, shaky half-smile. She let go of one of his hands, reaching up to rest her palm right over his heart. It thumped hard beneath his uniform, matching the frantic rhythm of hers. For the longest, heart-in-mouth moment, Bella imagined that he didn't have to go. She pictured his grim expression melting away and a double-dimpled grin in its place as he admitted that he didn't have to go; that they could stay together.

But it was impossible.

His chest shook under her palm as he inhaled a deep breath and took a big step backward. Her hand trembled as she lowered it to her side and watched Emmett walk back toward Alec, Harley, and Oliver. He kept his gaze trained on her the entire time; as he lifted his bags and hoisted them up to his shoulder, adjusted his jacket, and huffed.

Bella felt panic beginning to twist her chest as he started to turn. They weren't doing the 'goodbye' thing. They'd agreed that.

" _Emmett…_ "

There was no way he could have heard her silently mouthing his name, but he flinched. She bit her lip hard enough for it to hurt but it didn't come anywhere close to the pain of her heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

She'd been unable to take staying at home, watching him drive away from the house.

But she was suddenly certain it was a million times worse watching him turn from her cuddly teddy bear into a hardened soldier as he strode toward the escalator which would start the long journey to take him away from her.

Tears burned her cheeks as all the noise of the airport rushed back into her head.

With every step Emmett took, the hole in Bella's chest seemed to expand until her entire body felt like it was ice cold. She trembled and forced herself not to cry out when Emmett made it to the top of the escalator.

They'd decided this; they'd agreed he'd just go, no looking back.

But the chasm in Bella's chest cracked wide open when he turned his head halfway before remembering his promise and straightening up.

Bella let out a small sob, blindly reaching for a nearby chair to hold her up as Emmett finally disappeared from view.

As she slowly sank to the cold airport floor, every little sound a cacophony of noise, Emmett's words from the night before randomly pushed to the forefront of her panicked thoughts.

" _Always remember, darlin', we're under the same sky looking at the same moon. No matter where we are, you've just gotta look up and you'll know you're looking at the exact same thing I am."_


	8. Chapter 8

**Fri-Yay! At long last, my day off. After a string of  
disgustingly early mornings for work, today I've managed to get  
a tonne of jobs done in preparation for Christmas - including writing  
the final chapter of this little tale! Well...it's _half_ -written, anyway.  
You can expect that at some point Christmas Eve or Christmas Day  
if all goes to plan.**

 **I've managed to read through some of the reviews and I'm  
going to try and respond to some today. I love that you're all  
enjoying it so far. I'm also loving hearing about some of your  
experiences with army life. I don't personally have any firsthand  
experience with this situation, although I have experienced a fair few  
losses so I know a few things about anguish and missing someone.**

 **Huge hugs and thank yous to** annaharding **for being fab and  
willing to work on this just days before Christmas. I definitely  
owe you a big break soon!**

 **There's a few more clues in this chapter, so I'll let you get on and read...**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **March 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2009**_

Until Mac was born, Bella had never realized just how all-encompassing the love for a child could be.

As she gazed down at him, sleeping soundly in her arms, Bella felt her heart aching with love. He'd been a thumb-sucker right from the beginning; most of his ultrasound images were of him with his thumb firmly in his mouth. Even now, at five-months-old, he couldn't sleep without his thumb between his lips.

Running her fingertips gently over his rosy cheek, Bella tried to remember what life was like before he arrived, red-faced and screaming, but she couldn't. Or, more truthfully, she didn't want to. Life before Mac had been late nights watching _Breaking Bad_ or _The Walking Dead_ , date nights and trips into the city to watch bands, and lazy Sunday mornings eating leftovers from the diner.

Now, her evenings consisted of mopping baby rice from the kitchen floor, picking up toys scattered all over the living room, and singing lullabies to her baby boy in his nursery. Bella couldn't remember the last _Breaking Bad_ marathon or the last time she'd slept in until eleven on a Sunday morning.

Mac stirred, babbling a few unintelligible words in his sleep before snuggling closer into Bella's chest.

Life was very different post-baby, for sure, but with the warmth of his little body curled against hers and his soft, sweet baby scent, Bella couldn't regret a moment of this new lifestyle. It was crazy-busy at times, she showered far less than she used to, and her purse had been switched out for a diaper bag the size of Texas, but it was so worth it. Every gummy grin when she went into the nursery each morning, every new milestone hit, every time he reached for her when he was sad or happy or just wanted a snuggle from his mommy…

They made the sleepless nights, occasional money worries, and the sacrifices she'd had to make worth it.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Oh, Bella…you have _the_ cutest baby."

Bella smiled and sighed. "Yeah. But I bet you say that to all the moms."

Renata laughed, a high, light sound that brought a big, gummy grin to baby Mac's face. "Oh, keep smiling just like that, handsome. Perfect!"

This photoshoot was part of the package Bella's mom and dad had given her for her birthday. She got to have a pregnancy shoot to showcase her bump, a newborn session when Mac was born, this session now – which was supposed to be at six months, but they'd be on vacation then so were doing it a month early – and a fourth session around Mac's first birthday.

A theme had developed during the pregnancy shoot and Bella had carried it over to each subsequent session. Her favorite image from the pregnancy shots hung on a canvas in the living room, and depicted her standing side-on to the camera with her hands cradling her bump, her proud husband slightly faded in the background at attention in his camo uniform. Renata took it at sunset, so the fading light created a beautiful glow around both his silhouette and the bump.

The day Mac was born, Renata came to the hospital to take photos while he was still brand new in the world. Bella was exhausted, and rightfully so after twenty-eight hours of labor and giving birth to a nine-pounds, six-ounce baby boy, so baby Mac was being cradled by his proud daddy when Renata arrived. She'd quickly snapped a photo of Mac draped over his daddy's broad shoulder, scooping his dog tags from the table at the end of Bella's bed. It had confused Bella for a moment, then she saw what Renata was doing. Mac grasped the chain and nestled his head back into the soft t-shirt he was cradled against; this image in black and white hung beside the bump canvas. It was Bella's absolute favorite, containing both of her special boys.

Continuing the army theme, Bella had dressed Mac in a soft, camo-print bodysuit for his five-month photoshoot. Renata had snapped image after image of him in various positions; so far, Bella's favorite was the one of him tangled in an American flag with a big, gummy grin on his face.

"Okay, so…did you bring the boots?"

"Oh! Yes, I did. They're in this bag." Bella quickly fished the combat boots from the rucksack of props Renata had requested, handing them over to an impishly-grinning Renata.

She twisted her red hair back and clipped it behind her head, then turned to Bella and gestured for her to fetch Mac as she stood the boots in front of a white backdrop. "I saw something similar when I was looking for ideas the other day, and we just _have to_ do it."

Laughing, Bella asked where Renata wanted her, then took her spot standing beside the boots.

"Okay, so if you hold him, will he be able to stand?"

Frowning down at the boots, Bella suddenly realized what Renata was trying to do. "Yes! He can, hold on…"

A half-hour later, Bella and Renata released twin sighs as they clicked through the images from the session.

Much to Renata's glee, the flag photo had been usurped by Bella's new favorite.

Bella had held Mac carefully over the boots, dangling his legs into them, and Renata had taken a photo which only showed him from his tummy to the floor, so it looked as though he was actually wearing the boots. Bella couldn't resist taking a quick snapshot of it on her phone to send to her parents and husband. He'd been gutted when he realized his work schedule wouldn't allow him to come to the photoshoot, so Bella had promised to send snapshots to tide him over until the prints were ready.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **June 30**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2013 – Five years later**_

"You know, it's really not fair that you're hogging all the beautiful genes," Renata sighed, shooting Bella a wink.

"Oh, don't be silly. With _your_ genes?" Bella reached over and gently patted Renata's bump. "This baby boy is going to be a stunner."

Never one to turn down a compliment, Renata's smile widened as she shrugged and rubbed the spot Bella had just patted; her baby boy kicked at her hand.

"Even so…look at this one!"

The grin that spread over Bella's face was wide and full of love and adoration. "I think you might have outdone yourself, Ren."

Mac was now almost five-years-old and stood at attention, his saluting hand holding back his mop of curls while his big blue eyes seemed to catch and hold Bella's gaze. She dragged her eyes over to Mac's little brother.

Two-year-old Teddy hadn't quite grasped the salute but he made a valiant effort, his mouth curled up in a dimpled smile, chocolate brown eyes crinkled with glee.

Both boys were dressed in army combats, complete with boots and the patches declaring their rank - Colonel for Mac, Sergeant for Teddy.

And then, Bella sighed as her eyes fell to the tiny form between them.

Baby Emilia.

Bella had dressed her ten-day-old daughter in a pink camo leotard and tutu, a pair of tiny knitted combat boots, and a thin, American flag headband with a tiny pink bow.

She was laying in one of her daddy's worn helmets, cushioned by a blanket, and in the photo on the screen her beautiful blue eyes were wide open and alert, staring right at the camera.

Well, she was actually looking toward Bella's voice, because the camera was too far away for her new eyes to see.

"There are too many great ones to choose from," Bella complained with a smile.

Renata was beaming with pride as she pointed out that Charlie and Renee had already promised to buy two prints as Bella's birthday presents, but that still left her with over twenty other images to choose from.

Her task might have been easier if she didn't have Mac and Teddy running riot and baby Emilia starting to fuss in her arms.

In the end, Bella chose her three favorites and decided to pick some more another day, then rounded up her boys and carried their baby sister out to the car. It was a rare clear day in Forks, so Bella drove to the park to let Mac and Teddy run off some energy in the play area while she fed Emilia on a nearby bench. The sun shone down on her back, a gentle breeze playing with the loose tendrils of hair hanging over her shoulder.

Emilia stared up at her mother through wide, bright blue eyes; they were her daddy's eyes made-over. Bella let Emilia feed for a short while before deftly swapping her to her other breast, managing to keep her tucked beneath the shawl she kept on hand for such occasions. Though she was all for women feeding their babies however and wherever they chose, Bella couldn't bear the thought of anyone other than her husband seeing her without her clothes. Besides, it may have been sunny, but it wasn't warm enough for Bella to be comfortable without the shawl.

"Mama! Look!"

Bella pulled her gaze from Emilia and smiled when she found Mac. He was pointing upward as Teddy waved and threw himself down the slide, landing at the bottom with a whoop of delight.

"Well done, baby boy!" Bella called softly. She couldn't help but laugh when Mac and Teddy quickly climbed back up the small frame to race down the twin slide hand-in-hand.

Looking back now, Bella couldn't believe she'd ever been worried about how Mac would handle being a big brother. While she was pregnant with Teddy she'd been petrified that he'd hate sharing attention and time with his parents; he'd been fiercely attached to both since his first day of life.

Now a big brother to not one, but _two_ younger siblings, Mac had proven himself to be every bit the perfect role model to his brother and sister. Teddy idolized him and even the wildest of Emilia's crying fits could be soothed by Mac singing to her.

As a child, Bella had occasionally wondered what having siblings would be like. If she was honest, Bella had always wanted brothers. Older, because they'd look after her and invite their good-looking friends over for her to gawk at. As she smirked and adjusted herself back into her top, tucking the shawl neatly around a now-sleeping Emilia, Bella couldn't help but feel amused at the thought of her daughter having two older brothers to watch over her; two lots of friends to ogle when she was older, not that her dad would like that one bit.

He'd already vowed to ship her off to a convent when she turned sixteen.

A few minutes later, Bella called the boys over and promised them a milkshake from the diner if they didn't argue about leaving the park. Neither boy would ever turn down a milkshake, so the little family climbed back into the car and made a pit stop at the diner before returning home, where Emilia went straight into her bassinet and Teddy almost immediately flaked out on the sofa, almost an hour late for his own nap.

To keep from waking either of the babies, Bella took Mac, the baby monitor, and a big bowl of popcorn and made a tent out of an old sheet on the back porch. Her eldest baby adored spending one-on-one time with his mama and had the widest double-dimpled smile on his face when she crawled in after him.

"I love you, Mama," he told her nonchalantly with his goofy little grin.

Gazing down at her boy, her eldest baby and her little ray of perpetual sunshine, Bella felt her heart expanding until it almost hit bursting point.

"I love you, too, Texas Philip McCarty."

* * *

 **Just a reminder that you can join me on my Facebook page -** Ciara Shaye Chapman - **or my author page on FB -** Ciara Shayee - Author - **for teasers, pictures to go along with chapters, and news on any current and upcoming projects.**

 **Also, I've created a FB group for Emmett fans -** Entranced By Emmett. **Please feel free to join us over there, we're expanding each day and already have lots of great recommendations!**

 **See you tomorrow, my little soldiers!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! Saturday, at last!  
**

 **Big, massive, gigantic THANK YOU to  
** annaharding **for beta'ing this for me. You've done  
** **a stellar job considering I dumped this on you last  
** **minute and put it on a ridiculous schedule of daily  
** **posting. What on Earth was I thinking?! Next time,  
please smack me upside the head LOL**

 **Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. Without  
you guys, this would all be pretty pointless. You're all  
awesome. I promise, any questions you have asked in  
your reviews will have been answered by the time I post the  
last chapter - which is looking like either tomorrow or Christmas  
Day, depending on how quickly I can get it finished and sent off  
to my wonderful right-hand lady.**

 **You'll know what I mean by this when you get there,  
but 'the song' is a slightly different version to the more  
well-known one of the same name. The version I used for  
this was by the Leading Ladies. If you Youtube it, you'll likely  
fall in love with it just like I have.**

 **Okay, so...this chapter will answer A LOT of questions and  
will make an awful lot of you happy ;)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017**_

"All right, we're going to be late if you don't get your butts down here in the next five seconds!"

Emilia appeared at the top of the stairs first. She flashed her mom a big, cheesy, double-dimpled grin and did a twirl, her glittery red tulle skirt flaring around her like a tutu. "I'm weady, Mama!"

Bella couldn't help but smile even as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

 _My baby's getting so big._

"You look beautiful, baby doll! Come on down here and we'll do your hair."

Emilia bounced down the stairs without bothering to hold the railing or pay attention to her feet. Her complete lack of fear both came from her father and scared the living daylights out of Bella. She walked her daughter into the kitchen, lifting her and settling her on a bar stool at the breakfast bar.

"So…how are we having it today?" Bella ran her fingers through Emilia's soft, bouncy chocolate curls. For a three-year-old, Emilia had the longest, most beautiful hair. Bella herself had been all-but bald until she was almost a year old, but Emilia was born with a head of messy brown curls which had only gotten more luscious as she grew. "Piggies, braids, a ponytail…?"

Emilia fiddled with the hair ties in her hand, humming in contemplation. "Ummm, piggies, Mama!"

"Piggies it is."

There were few things more relaxing than listening to Emilia practicing her nativity song while Bella deftly brushed out her hair before taming it in two long pigtails. Having a girl had been terrifying at first; Bella had freaked out on the phone to her mom after the ultrasound, crying because she didn't know how to deal with hair or deal with the complexities of a little girl. She already had the boys by then, of course; Mac was almost five, and Teddy was a month shy of two. Bella was scared, alone, and all-too-aware she'd likely be giving birth and spending the first few months of her baby girl's life as a single parent.

Renee had put her mind at ease by assuring her she'd have help and support. Much to Bella's surprise, being a mother to Emilia had come even easier than with her boys.

The very second the doctor handed Emilia over, red-faced, screaming, and patchy with blood, Bella had been besotted just like with Mac and Teddy.

 _Speaking of the boys…_

Their footsteps thumped down the stairs and into the kitchen, Bella's lips curling up at the sound of their laughter.

"Oh, boys," Bella breathed, feeling the tell-tale sting of tears as he gazed at her sons in the doorway. They'd both put on the black chinos and short-sleeved Christmas shirts she'd picked out, their hair actually semi-tamed for once. Mac's shirt was red and decorated with penguins, while Teddy's was covered in snowmen, reindeer, Christmas crackers, and T-rex's wearing Santa hats. "You look so handsome."

Mac's cheeks flamed as he whined, " _Mom_. Do you have to be so mushy?"

Lifting Emilia down from the stool before telling her to go pick out some shoes, Bella made her way over to cup Mac's red cheeks. He was just shy of her height already, his chocolate brown eyes almost level with hers.

"I'll always be mushy, baby boy." Cupping Teddy's face with one hand and Mac's with the other, Bella added, "You're my handsome little boys and you're both growing up too damn quickly."

"And me, and me, Mama!" Emilia cheered. She squeezed between her brothers. "I's growing, Mama!"

"Yes, you sure are, baby girl," Bella sighed, planting a kiss on each of their heads before clapping her hands. "All right! Shall we go get Nana and Grampa and get partying?"

Her festive little trio chimed their agreement, but she didn't miss the wistful flash in their eyes; it was most likely the same wistfulness she was feeling as she loaded them into the car and shot a quick glance at the empty passenger seat beside her.

 _We all wish you were here, Hubs._

Determined to remain cheerful and bright, Bella plastered a smile on her face and reminded herself that it was Christmas Eve. Her children deserved more than a half-assed effort from her, so she turned to grin at them.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yep! I'm gonna show Jane my new dance moves," Mac declared, thinking of his best friend from school.

"Ready, Mama!" Teddy sighed happily, his little face content.

"Weady, Mama! Wet's go, wet's go!" Emilia bounced in her pink car seat, her red dress clashing with it horrifically but making her look like the prettiest of Christmas princesses.

 **~ oOo ~**

The whole of Forks had shown up for the annual Christmas party. For the past two years, they'd held it on Christmas Eve rather than a few days before and it had grown in size way beyond expectation.

The high school across the street had begun giving up their parking lot so there would be enough room for the out-of-towners, and The Lodge had extended its largest function room to cater to the still-expanding event. This year, Bella had managed to book a few more well-known acts to perform, which had drawn an even bigger crowd from neighboring Port Angeles and Seattle.

If all went to plan, it should be an amazing night. Bella was immensely proud to have her Papa Phil's name attached to the foundation, which, like the Christmas party, was growing in success and popularity with every passing year.

As she led Renee and Charlie inside and watched the children scatter to the four winds in search of their friends, Bella felt herself puff up with pride at the awe on her parents' faces. They gazed around in wonder, their eyes wide as they took in the decorations and smiling faces spread around the room.

"Bella, this is… _wow_!"

"It's great, isn't it?" Bella sighed, heading for the bar. The children were all performing with their dance classes later in the evening and her own performance was right before the under-fives dance troupe, which was the first of the children's groups, so she had plenty of time to enjoy a quick glass of wine with her parents before she needed to worry about being backstage.

While she nursed her rosé, Lizzie joined her for a chat and to discuss a couple of small alterations to the event. For the most part, Lizzie tended to linger in the wings and help Bella run the foundation from behind closed doors. With The Lodge to run as well, she was often too busy to attend meetings and get on the video calls with board members and Bella. Still, without her backing and support, the Phil Dwyer Foundation wouldn't have been able to grow as much as it had.

The sheer scale of this event never failed to strike Bella as bitter-sweet.

This entire thing, the party with the music, food, and happiness would have been something Phil adored. He'd have been the life and soul, out on the dance floor all evening with a beer in hand and a broad smile on his face.

As Bella gazed at the dance floor she saw a brief flash of Phil there. Dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a flannel shirt as he 'threw some shapes,' as he would have put it, Bella could see the papa she'd loved from their very first meeting.

" _Mama, where we goin'?"_

 _Renee smiled down at her two-year-old, but there was a hint of nerves glazing her eyes. "We're going to meet a friend, sweetie. You remember, I told you his name is 'Phil'?"_

 _Little Bella mouthed 'Phil' and nodded, her attention diverted by the park she could now see up ahead. It was a glorious Florida morning, the sun glinting off Bella's chocolate locks as they bounced in bunches over her shoulders._

" _C'mon, Mama! S'the park!"_

 _Laughing lightly, Renee quickened her step. Her eyes darted around the small parking lot beside the play area, her heart taking off at a gallop when she spotted him. Phil was leaning against his Chevy truck with his thick arms crossed over his chest, the wide smile she'd already fallen in love with spreading wider across his face when he spotted Bella bouncing along at Renee's side._

 _They'd been dating for two months now but this was the first time Renee was including Bella on one of their dates. She was uncharacteristically nervous, even though Phil had assured her that she didn't need to be._

 _Renee sucked in a soft breath when Phil pushed off his truck and loped closer, meeting her and Bella just outside the gate to the play area. Bella peered up at him with wide eyes, cocking her head like an adorable little puppy when he sunk into a crouch; he was still far taller than her, but the gesture made her smile._

" _Mama, s'this Phil?"_

 _Renee nodded, running a hand over her daughter's head. "Yes, sweetie, this is Phil. Say, 'hi'."_

" _Hi! I'm Bewwa!" Bella chimed, throwing herself at Phil's broad chest for a hug. Phil looked mildly surprised, but he covered it well and cradled Bella against his chest until she wriggled back enough to study the military dog tags hanging around his neck. "Neckwace! I's got a neckwace."_

 _Phil chuckled, the sound deep and warm as she held out her plastic necklace with a pink, crown-shaped pendant. "That's beautiful, Bella." He shot a wink at Renee when he saw her visibly relax knowing she'd been nervous about how Bella would take to him._

" _We go pway now?" Bella looked between Phil and her mom with hope in her large doe eyes._

 _When Phil answered for Renee and asked Bella to push him on the swings, the little girl fell about giggling and declared that he was silly, but_ he _could push_ her _._

 _By the time Renee tucked Bella into bed that night after a full afternoon spent at the park, then Chuck E Cheese with Phil, the little girl adored him. As she snuggled her stuffed puppy and let her eyes fall closed, Bella mumbled "I wove Phil, Mama," before promptly falling to sleep, leaving her mom fighting tears as she agreed and shared her daughter's sentiment._

"He'd love this, sweetie," Renee murmured, pulling Bella from her thoughts.

Bella smiled at her and looped their arms together, sighing. "I know. He'd be over there, strutting his stuff," Renee followed Bella's nod toward the dance floor and hummed her agreement.

Their eyes moved together to the eight-feet-tall banner by the door, Phil's imposing stature even more-so with the added two feet. Idly, Bella wondered if it was weird for Renee to be here with Charlie and see reminders of her life with Phil spread around the room. There were portraits of soldiers lost to war hanging in life-size poster form on the walls, and a table had been set up bearing pictures of their families near the bar. The entire night was a homage and a fundraiser for the families left behind by the conflict being fought hundreds of thousands of miles away, and to say that Bella was proud of how well it was doing would be a massive understatement.

"Are you still performing tonight?"

"Always," Bella breathed, smiling because she was looking forward to singing. A quick check of her watch told her that it was almost time, so Bella finished the last of her drink before leading Charlie and Renee through the crowds toward the stage area, which was in a smaller room off the main function area. They were stopped numerous times to speak to friends and neighbors, finally making it to the stage just as the magician before Bella's performance began to wrap up his set.

"I'll leave you guys here, okay?"

Charlie beamed, waving Bella toward the stage door. "Go on, hurry! We'll get seats and be ready to start the standing ovation when you're done."

Planting a kiss on his cheek, then one on Renee's, Bella darted backstage and met Ernie. He offered her his trademark grin and whispered his promise that he had her music and was ready to go, leaving her to step over to the wings and chug half a bottle of water; she had the same routine for every year and always took the last minute or two to center herself before stepping out.

As usual, Lizzie took to the stage first to introduce Bella, then hid in the wings on the opposite side as the thunderous applause drew Bella out to the microphone right in the middle.

They'd gone softer on the stage lights this year, so Bella could make out most of the faces in the audience. Her parents were right at the front, as usual, both wearing wide smiles. This was the first year she was performing before the children, so it was a little strange not being able to see their faces smiling back at her as she explained who she was and why they were all there – for the Phil Dwyer Foundation.

There were hollers, cheers, and applause when she announced the year's total funds raised – over two million dollars – which would go to families struggling to adjust to their new lives without husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and wives, mothers, sisters, aunties…all lost to battle thousands of miles away on a different continent.

Bella sighed, smiling out at the sea of faces in front of her. "If you're a regular here you'll know what's coming. Every year since I was a child, I've sung the same song, but this year I'm going to sing something a little different first. This song…it's special to me for a lot of reasons."

A lifetime of happy memories spun on a revolving belt through Bella's mind.

" _Mommy! Papa!"_

 _Renee and Phil laughed gaily as two-year-old Bella ducked and weaved between the legs of the grown-ups crowding the dance floor._

" _You wook so pwetty, Mommy," Bella huffed, trying to catch her breath from the safety of Phil's arms._

 _Renee sighed, reaching out to caress her daughter's cheek. "So do you, beautiful girl."_

 _And she did. Renee had hand-sewn Bella's tiny flower girl dress to match her bridal gown; from the light white chiffon train up to the diamante waistband, they were identical. They'd even had their hair curled and arranged on top of their heads in matching chignons._

" _And now, I'd like to call the new Sergeant and Mrs. Dwyer to the front, so we can all enjoy watching their first dance as a married couple!"_

 _Bella squealed at the DJ's announcement and giggled as she was handed over to her grandpa to watch Phil twirl Renee around the dance floor to a slowed-down version of The Shirelles' Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow._

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Fourteen years later…**_

" _Aw, crap! They're still up."_

 _Bella rolled her eyes at Jake's nervous whine. "You're_ sixteen _, Jake. Quit being such a baby."_

 _As she led him around the side of the house, tugging him by the hand, Jake huffed. "You don't exactly have a regular dad, Bells. Your dad's a_ first sergeant _, for crying out loud!"_

 _Used to her sort-of-boyfriend's nerves about Phil, Bella just sighed and quickly twisted her hair back into a messy bun, pointing to the trellis climbing the back of her house. "You first. Remember, my window is the left one. Go right, and you'll be in Mom and Papa's room."_

 _For a Quileute with naturally tanned skin, Jake looked a touch green. "You want me to_ climb _? Why do I have to go first?"_

 _With a gentle shove to Jake's shoulder, Bella growled, "Because I don't want you staring at my butt the whole way up, that's why! Now, are you going up, or not?"_

 _Jake steeled himself and clambered unsteadily up the trellis, tumbling into Bella's room with a quiet thump; Bella winced, but she could still hear her mom laughing over the music spilling from their bedroom window. As she climbed up to join Jake, Bella couldn't resist peeking into the window on the right, her lips curling up in a wide smile when she spotted Renee and Phil._

 _He'd been home from deployment for two days, so they'd been sickeningly sweet and affectionate toward one another. Bella had snuck out to meet Jake and some of their friends as soon as they'd retreated to their room and started the gramophone._

 _As she peered in, Phil lowered Renee back over his arm and peppered kisses over her smiling face, pausing only to croon the lyrics to their first dance song._

" _Tonight, you're mine, completely. You give your love so sweetly…"_

 _As she quickly clambered up through her bedroom window, Bella prayed she'd have their kind of perfect, movie love one day._

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2007**_

" _This is just…" Bella sighed in utter contentment, gazing up at him, her new husband._

 _He beamed down at her, his bright, happy blue eyes entrancing and sparkling. "Perfect?"_

" _Perfect," she agreed, leaning in and letting her eyes slide closed as her cheek came to rest over his heart. It thumped away wildly against her skin. "Your heart is going crazy," Bella whispered._

 _His soft chuckle reverberated down through her body, warming her from the inside-out. "It always does when you're around, darlin'. I like it, though. It tells me when you're near."_

 _Tears stung Bella's eyes as she sucked in a surprised breath and squeezed him tighter, her fists clenching in the soft fabric of his white dress shirt where they rested at the small of his broad back. "I love you, Hubs."_

 _She closed her stinging eyes and let the warmth of the kiss he placed on top of her head calm the gallop of her own heart._

" _I love you more, little darlin'."_

 _They moved silently around the small dance floor, oblivious to the eyes on them as Bella let the familiar lyrics of a song she'd grown up hearing embrace her. They'd become so much more important to her than just words in the years since she found her now-husband._

 _They were song lyrics, but they were also the question she was asked every other year or so when she had to watch her heart walk away from her for months at a time._

 _They were the words which prompted an 'always' every single time._

 _And they were the words that serenaded her as she held her husband close, praying it would be a long time until she heard them again._

 **~ oOo ~**

Blinking the audience back into focus, Bella realized she'd been lost in thought for longer than was normal. Renee shot her a reassuring smile from the front row; she and Charlie were sitting in the seats beside the center aisle, and Bella could see that her mom was about ready to climb up on the stage to comfort her.

Shaking off her blanket of nostalgia, she smiled brightly. "This song…it was my mother and papa's first dance song, then it was mine. But it's also more than that." Tears threatened to spill over Bella's cheeks as she fought a sob and reached up to clasp the white gold 'E' charm hanging around her neck on a thin chain.

"My husband is Lieutenant Colonel Emmett McCarty," she reached out a shaky hand, gesturing to the large banner hanging on the opposite side of the stage to the one of Phil. For the first time, she let her eyes find it.

There Emmett stood, tall, imposing, and heartbreakingly handsome in his combat gear, gun slung over his shoulder, dimpled grin firmly in place. Even from ten feet away, his piercing blue eyes froze her.

"He's currently serving in Afghanistan. I know many of you are also missing loved ones who are overseas fighting, or maybe they aren't even overseas. There are millions of soldiers fighting _here_ , in our own country, every single day, and we miss them just as much." Breathing hard, Bella blinked back tears and nodded minutely to tell her mom she was okay.

"I know lots of military wives with different routines for that day. Deployment day. In our house, we have the same last meal together every single time. Our kids love pancakes, especially when their daddy makes them with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and marshmallows."

Titters of laughter rippled through the crowd; they were otherwise silent as they listened.

"Whether he's shipping out late at night or first thing in the morning, we have Daddy's Special Pancakes for our last meal, then we all load up and trek to the airport."

Bella had faced criticism over the years for letting her children be a part of the deployment process, but just as she hadn't been able to face the prospect of watching him drive away all those years ago for his first deployment after they met, Bella couldn't force that same scenario on her babies. To their credit, Mac, Teddy, and Emilia had all fared remarkably well each time they saw their dad off. There were tears, of course, but this was their life and they'd grown up worshipping their daddy for being not only their hero, but hero to millions of other people.

"The first time our eldest, Mac, came with us, he commanded Emmett to take him up and down the escalator seven times. He was sixteen months old and every bit the little sergeant."

" _Up, Dada! Up!"_

 _Emmett chuckled, his booming laughter attracting attention from every angle, but he only had eyes for his son. "All right, little soldier. 'Up' it is."_

 _Bella videoed Emmett's smiles and Mac's giggles through her tears as they repeatedly rode the escalator up and down, watching the recording over and over later that night after she'd tucked baby Mac into bed beside her._

"When Emmett has to leave, he always tells the kids he loves them first."

 _There was no sign of Mac's new 'coolness' as Emmett pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on his head. He claimed he was 'too old' for hugs and kisses, but today was different._

" _Love you, Texas. You're the man of the house while I'm away, right?"_

 _Mac pulled back just enough to salute with a half-hearted smile. "Yes, Sir."_

 _Emmett grinned and nodded. "At ease, soldier. Keep those grades up and watch over your mama, brother, and sister. I'll be back before you've had a chance to miss me."_

 _The boy's eyes betrayed his 'no you won't,' but he didn't say it, simply telling his dad 'I love you, Dad' before stepping aside so Emmett could move along the little line._

" _I love you, buddy," Emmett murmured, wiping Teddy's tears from his rosy cheeks. "Be good for Mama, okay?"_

" _Yes, Sir," Teddy sniffled, bumping his forehead lightly against his daddy's before stepping back._

 _Emmett's smile widened as he took in Emilia. She was decked out in pink camo from her boots to the bow in her hair._

" _Luff you, Daddy!" She sang, smothering his face in noisy smooches._

" _I love you, Emilia Belle._ _You be good for Mama, too."_

" _Uh-huh, I will." She was nodding seriously, and leaning in to caress the wrinkle between his thick brows. "Daddy, you sad?"_

" _Yeah, baby. Daddy's sad 'cause he's gonna miss you all." Emmett pulled all three of his children in for a tight hug, squeezing them until they groaned and giggled before letting them pull back just enough that he could look into each of their eyes in turn. "I love you all. Now, be good kids and help your mama. And keep up your grades, or you know Mama'll kick your butts."_

 _Mac and Teddy snorted, shooting wary looks at their mom because they knew he wasn't lying._

 _Emilia giggled, slapping her hands over her mouth. "Daddy! You gotta pay the swear jar!"_

 _Emmett fished a dollar from his pocket, handing it over to his proud daughter. "There you go, baby."_

 _Bella watched him suck in a deep breath before kissing each of his children and murmuring for them to give him a moment with their mom._

Gazing out at the audience, Bella could already see a few tears; she could feel some tumbling over her cheeks.

She could see Gianna Colucci a few rows behind her parents, weeping into her handkerchief. Her husband Alec was fighting alongside Emmett, their twins Jane and Caius in Mac's year at school.

Marcus Walters was silently crying two seats away from Gianna. His wife Didyme had died four years ago after a roadside bomb blew up her convoy in Iraq. She'd been just a week away from flying home.

Bree Sanchez sobbed quietly at the back. Her husband Leroy had been killed the day before WWII was called to an end, leaving her at home with a six-week-old baby who'd been born while his father was in Germany. Leroy Junior had never met his father; he died fighting for his country aged just twenty-one. Now ninety and having outlived her second husband, she lived in the nursing home nestled in the heart of Forks and loved to tell all who'd listen about her hero husband.

Bella's eyes found Renee then. Charlie was holding her hand and whispering words of comfort in her ear, but she still had a waterfall of tears soaking her face. She'd lost her husband after almost twenty years of marriage to a mission he was never supposed to have been on.

All around were people whose lives had been destroyed by a battle that was still waging on with no end in sight. Not one person in that room was ignorant of the devastation caused by war, all of them, at some point, having watched someone they love walk away to fight.

"Before he leaves, Emmett always asks me one question. The first time he asked me, I thought he was messing around, but he was serious, and then it became a tradition." Bella told the captivated crowd about the last time he'd left her; her words were shaky, but she managed to keep them coming.

 _With the children distracted by a vending machine nearby and a twenty, Emmett stood up to his full height and turned to Bella. As his large hands enveloped hers, he tugged her closer to his body. She screwed her eyes shut against the threatening tears and fought back a scream as her forehead came to rest on the slightly scratchy material of his combats covering his chest._

" _Bella, darlin', I left everything where it usually is. If I don't—"_

" _Don't! Don't even say it. Don't_ think _it," Bella choked out, squeezing him around the waist with all her might._

" _All right," Emmett sighed, stroking one hand over her head and down her back, swaying their bodies slightly from side-to-side. "I love you, darlin'."_

" _I love you, Bear," she sniffled, pulling back to soak in everything about his face. He looked solemn, but the fierce love he'd always shown her was right there in the clear blue of his eyes and the ever-so-slight upward curl of his lips._

 _He sighed, bending slightly to press their foreheads together. "I'm too old for this shit," he mumbled grumpily, eliciting a sharp snort of surprise from Bella._

" _Hell yes, you are! You're forty next year, Lieutenant Colonel McCarty."_

 _Emmett grinned impishly. "But I don't look a day over twenty-five, right?"_

" _Right, Bear," Bella soothed, reaching up to cradle his freshly shaven jaw with one hand. The other remained firmly clenched in the material at his back and would until she absolutely had to let go._

 _After eight deployments, Bella could read Emmett's next words like a book before he even said them._

" _I love you, darlin', more than all the stars in the whole damn sky. I know you don't like to hear it, but there are emergency details in the safe." He sighed, cupping her face with one of his large hands. The sting of tears preceded the question that meant it was time for him to go. "Will you love me tomorrow?"_

" _Always," Bella choked, somewhere between a laugh and a cry._

 _Emmett managed a weak smile even though his eyes were filling with tears. "I'll see you soon, darlin'. I love you."_

" _I love you."_

"So that's why I'm going to sing _Will You Love Me Tomorrow_. It's a little different to the original, but this is the version we had at our wedding and this is where that question comes from."

Light applause rippled through the audience as Bella raised a shaky hand to signal Ernie. The music started slow and soft, and Bella felt the same swell of emotion rising through her that appeared every time she heard this song. Bella knew it so well that she didn't need to think about a thing; she just started singing.

" _Tonight, you're mine, completely,  
You give your love, so sweetly,  
Tonight, the light of love is in your eye,  
But will you love me tomorrow?"_

As she sang, Bella let everything else fall away. All the stress of the past eleven months, of raising their three children alone and knowing she still had three months until he was due home, melted away for just a short while. The music enveloped her, Bella's eyes sliding closed as she let the words soothe her bereft soul.

" _Is this a lasting treasure?  
Or just a moment of pleasure?  
Can I believe the magic of your sighs?  
Will you still love me tomorrow?"_

Bella's breath hitched as she sang the words – Emmett's words, _will you love me tomorrow_ – and felt the phantom tingle of his eyes on her. Even going back to their first meeting at the diner that cold December night, Bella had been able to feel his piercing gaze. His eyes on her had been the distracting factor which had allowed the creepy trucker to get her in a vulnerable position; she'd been too busy trying to surreptitiously look at Emmett.

Sucking in a breath, Bella reminded herself _he's not here_ and continued to sing as though he was in the front row, just as he had been every year between deployments.

" _Tonight, with words unspoken,  
You say that I'm the only one,  
But will my heart be broken,  
When the night meets the morning sun?"_

For what had to be the hundredth time that day, Bella felt her stomach flip with anxiety and just plain heartache. Singing this song…it had seemed like a good idea at first. But now, standing up there with her eyes closed so she could picture Emmett standing in front of her like he had been on their wedding day when they'd danced to it as newlyweds, Bella realized she'd made a mistake.

It was physically painful to be singing those words, _their words_ , knowing Emmett was thousands of miles away potentially fighting for his life at any given moment.

 _Just two more verses to go_ , she told herself.

Ignoring the burning of eyes on her, Bella forced herself to continue.

" _I'd like to know that your love,  
Is a love I can be sure of,  
So tell me now and I won't ask again,  
Will you still love me tomorrow?"_

For the briefest of moments, Bella opened her eyes to blink away an onslaught of tears.

For a second, just a second, she saw Emmett. He was standing there, proud and grinning as he watched her just like he would have done if he hadn't been called upon to fight.

But, no. He'd be in his tuxedo with a clean-shaven face and his hair semi-tamed. He'd be sitting in the front row in the spot he shared with Phil, which instead sat empty with a 'reserved' sign beside Renee.

 _But it feels like he's here…_

The small voice in the back of Bella's mind couldn't be quieted. She frowned as she prepared to sing the last line; his question. It was impossible – Emmett was thousands of miles away – but Bella's eyes peeled open slowly anyway, disappointment already slinking its way through her veins.

 _Only…_

"Emmett…" Bella breathed in a rush, forgetting all about the music of the eyes on her, suddenly sure she was dreaming because what she was seeing…it was impossible.

Except, there he was.

Standing at the head of the aisle at the back of the room, lit only by the fairy lights at his back and over his head, was her high-and-tight-haired, scruffy-faced, combats-clad, dimpled-grinning husband.

A million thoughts rushed through Bella's mind as she sucked in a desperate breath and clutched the microphone tight, her feet frozen in their spot.

Then, they weren't.

Bella wasn't thinking as she pried her feet from the stage and threw the microphone somewhere behind her. The audience disappeared as she hopped down and all-but flew up the aisle, skidding to a stop just in front of Emmett. He loomed over her with a silly grin on his face, tears on his cheeks, and a dusting of snow over his hair and shoulders that she hadn't been able to see from afar.

"You're…you're here?"

Emmett sighed, his fists clenched at his side as though he were trying to stop himself from moving. "I'm here, darlin'."

" _Oh God",_ Bella whimpered. _He sounds real. Could it…could it be real?_

Shakily, Bella raised a hand from her side and paused just a centimeter away from touching him. Her hand shook like a leaf as she bit her lip, met Emmett's gaze, and slowly closed the gap between her palm and his chest.

A sob tore itself from her stomach when she felt the warmth seeping through the chill clinging to his uniform; his heart thumped hard beneath her hand as her legs gave way and he looped a strong arm around her to keep her from crumpling to the floor.

"You're here! You're real!" she choked, tears coming in torrents now as she tried to touch him everywhere at once. His face, his shoulders, his chest and hands and hair…nothing was enough to convince her that he was really there a whole three months earlier than expected.

"Shit, darlin'," Emmett panted, pressing kisses all over her face before resting their foreheads together, his eyes screwed shut like he was in pain. "I've missed you. _Goddammit_ , I've missed you so damn much."

"You're here…how are you here?" she breathed. Bella had never felt so discombobulated in her life. Her skin felt electrified, blood rushing through her veins and making her a little light-headed.

"That's not important right now, darlin'. I haven't seen my wife in eleven months. Kiss me, dammit."

Giddy and unable to contain her giggles, Bella mumbled her "Yes, Sir" as she pressed her lips to his. Nothing compared to the feeling of _home_ and _this is right_ that came with kissing Emmett. Nothing. Bella felt her entire body relax as she melted into him, his groan rumbling through her as she wound her arms around his neck and let him lift her to wrap her legs around his waist. His large, strong hands held her up by cradling her thighs, his chest a welcoming, grounding pressure against her as she tried to worm her way impossibly closer.

He was warm and solid, all muscle and man and just _Emmett_. Bella's heart thundered faster and faster, her lungs unable to cope with all the excitement; she pulled back, panting into Emmett's ear.

Only then did they remember they weren't alone.

The applause was startlingly loud. Their display had earned a standing ovation and summoned tears to every eye in the room. Bella buried her flaming face in Emmett's neck but couldn't stifle her laughter when Emmett's chuckles shook their bodies.

Then, a pointed 'ahem' echoed through the room. Emmett shifted, letting Bella slide back to her feet. He kept her tucked securely into his side with one arm around her, both of Bella's tight around Emmett's waist.

Their eyes found Charlie up on the stage, where he was holding the microphone Bella had thrown and wearing a wide, teary-eyed grin. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present my son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel Emmett McCarty."

The roar was deafening as Bella let out an embarrassed, overwhelmed laugh and clung to Emmett. He, too, looked a touch abashed by all the attention as he waved awkwardly. "Uh, hey."

A ripple of weepy laughter lurched through the crowd. He gazed around at their smiling faces before peering down at Bella with hope in his eyes. He didn't need to ask; Bella knew exactly what, or _who_ , he wanted.

"Yes. Come on, let's go find them."

"We'll be back," Emmett called. "There are three little soldiers I need to debrief first."

As Bella pulled Emmett through the function room by hand, she tried to calm her racing heart. Every backward glance at him and every squeeze of their joined hands sent it soaring again, so she quickly gave up. As they moved through the main function room, they were just in time to see Leah slap Jake's chest before pulling him down to her by the collar for a hard kiss.

Bella barely had time to marvel over the fact that Jake was home, too, before Emmett had her pressed against a wall in the short corridor separating the rooms where the children were getting ready from the main party area.

"What are you—"

Emmett cut off her words with his lips against hers. He was hot, hurried, and all hard lines pressing her soft curves into the wall. She didn't fight it. She never had.

Her hands rooted themselves in his hair, her body melding itself to his.

When he pulled back, breathless and panting, his eyes were deep navy pools of want, relief, and love. "I love you. Have I told you?"

Breathing out a long sigh, Bella cupped his face. "I love you."

It was one thing to hear him say it through the crackly computer connection during their occasional video calls, but it was a completely different experience to hear his words and feel them vibrate through her hands on his face; to feel the rumble of his voice igniting every neglected nerve in her body. Emmett was like a drug and Bella had gone cold turkey when he walked away from her and their children eleven months ago. To have that first hit after so long apart…it was a heady, bewildering but euphoric sensation.

His smile softened, the muffled sound of children's laughter drawing his attention away from the relieved tears pooling in Bella's eyes.

"Come on. They're going to go crazy."

"How come they weren't in there watching you? They love watching their mama kick butt."

Bella smiled, knowing he was right; Mac, Teddy, and Emilia all loved to watch their mom sing, but with her performance going before theirs this year, they needed to be in their last rehearsal while she performed. Bella and Lizzie had already decided to switch the performances back around for next year, so they could watch her after their dance. When she explained it to Emmett, he simply nodded, his smile widening when she admitted that they were going back to the old order.

Thanks to the numerous rehearsals Bella had attended with the children, she knew exactly where to find them. She tugged Emmett along, their fingers twined, and felt her smile growing painful when they reached the right door.

"They're in there?" Emmett asked softly, his Daddy Smile firmly in place; the one he reserved for his Mac, Teddy, and Emilia Belle.

"Mmhmm." Bella quickly pulled her cell from the single pocket in her red jumpsuit, setting it to record but holding it at her side as she let herself in first and motioned for Emmett to wait a second. They'd arrived at the perfect time; Mrs. Makenna, their teacher, had them all facing away from the door while she ran through the program one more time.

She saw Bella's wide smile and red-rimmed eyes, glancing over her shoulder at Emmett as he slipped silently into the room. Mrs. Makenna's grin widened as she fought to keep her composure and continue talking. Emmett was almost vibrating with want to get to his babies as she stopped speaking, Bella quietly calling "Mac, Teddy, Emilia," to get their attention.

They all turned as one, their little faces curious when they spotted their mom and stunned when they found a familiar, broad figure right behind her.

She recorded their squeals and screams as they realized who they were looking at and flew across the room into his waiting embrace. Emmett fell to his knees and cradled all three of them in his arms, rocking them side-to-side as fat tears tumbled over his cheeks and Mac, Teddy, and Emilia chanted "Daddy" and "I love you's" over and over.

She recorded their tears and smiles when they got over the initial shock and turned to her, asking if she knew he'd be here before turning back to their dad because they couldn't bear to take their eyes off him.

And she recorded Emmett sitting back on his haunches to debrief his little soldiers, making sure they'd kept up with their homework, their chores, and taken care of their mama while he was gone.

Mrs. Makenna was on-hand to pass her tissues when Bella couldn't hold back her own tears any longer. Seeing her big husband crying on his knees was one thing, but to see him peppering their children's faces with kisses and telling them he loved them, he missed them, and he never wanted to leave them again was something else entirely.

* * *

 **Finally?! right? ;)**

 **I told you we'd get there eventually. So, a lot of you may still have questions. I'll be addressing them all either in tomorrow/Monday's A/N or within the chapter itself. If you have any burning desire to know anything, please drop it to me in a review or a PM :)**

 **I'm going to do a mammoth picture drop on my writing page on Facebook -** Ciara Shayee - Author - **which will include all the picspiration for this story.**

 **Also, please feel free to join me on my Facebook page -** Ciara Shaye Chapman - **and/or the Emmett centered FB page** Entranced By Emmett, **where we're sharing reccomendations and whatnot.**

 **xo**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, this is it. The last chapter. I got  
the inspiration for this from staying up late  
one night watching soldiers reunite with their  
families on Youtube. Sometimes you just need  
a good cry, you know? Anyway, it struck me that  
it would be nice to write about a soldier coming  
home to his family for Christmas. Fluffy and light,  
and the complete opposite to my other projects.**

Annaharding **was kind enough to step in and do  
her thing at incredibly short notice; for that and  
for her friendship, I'm eternally grateful.**

 **I'm also grateful to all of you lovely readers  
and reviewers for your kind words and readiness  
to accept a story which is a little different. You've all  
been wonderful, so THANK YOU.**

 **Your reaction to the last chapter sort of blew me  
away. Just as I expected, you were all incredibly  
happy to have it confirmed that Emmett is, indeed,  
Bella's husband and that he made it home to spend  
Christmas with his darlin' and little soldiers. I can't tell  
you how much fun I've had trawling the internet for  
pictures of the delicious Kellan while writing this. A few  
of my favourites are in the WYLMT album on my author  
page (deets at the bottom of this chapter)**

 **Anyways…Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to all of you!**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **December 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017**_

"My daddy's home, my daddy's home! Look, Nana! Daddy's home!"

Renee laughed at Emilia's delighted squeals, throwing her arms around Emmett when he offered his mother-in-law a bashful grin and opened his embrace to her. "I see that, baby girl!" She gave him a hard squeeze and stepped back, holding him by his scruffy cheeks. "God, it's so good to see you! Even if you do look like a scraggly grizzly."

Emmett chuckled and planted a kiss on her cheek before escaping her grip to shake Charlie's hand. "Thanks…I think? Hey, Charlie."

"Welcome home, Son," Charlie said gruffly, his eyes betraying his happiness. "It's great to have you back."

Emmett nodded and gazed at Bella by his side, Emilia still vibrating with excitement in her arms, their boys loitering by her side with their gaze trained firmly on him. Emmett's eyes were liquid blue pools of love and joy as he murmured, "It's great to _be_ back. It was touch and go whether I'd make it back before Christmas."

Once they'd all headed out to the bar for drinks and found seats around a table in a reasonably quiet corner, Emmett explained how he'd come to make it home. Everybody's excitement for the family was palpable and made the entire process take longer than it ordinarily would have, neighbors and friends all wanting to congratulate Emmett on making it home safe and sound.

"So…" Emmett finally huffed, chugging a few mouthfuls of his beer with a relieved sigh. Emilia giggled and used a napkin to wipe the resulting foam from his beard before he could speak. "Two weeks ago, we had a bit of an incident out on patrol."

Suddenly, the beard made sense, as well as the slightly longer hair on the top of his head. Two weeks of recuperation had allowed it all to grow a touch longer than was the norm for soldiers.

Emmett turned to Bella, beseeching her with his eyes to believe his words, "Nobody was lost, darlin'. Alvarez was hurt, but he was stable when we flew him back, and Alec says to tell you not to worry but he's gonna want pamperin' when he visits in the New Year. Something about chocolate millionaire muffins?"

Despite the fear that had run through her when Emmett said the word 'incident,' Bella managed a smile. She'd promised Alec millionaire muffins when he visited at the end of their tour, but it sounded like that might be a little earlier than planned. "Was he hurt, too?"

"Shrapnel hit his leg, but it was just a nasty flesh wound. He's doin' fine."

A big breath escaped Bella as she sagged against his side, visibly relieved. "Good," she breathed before realizing he hadn't mentioned himself. Panic hit her square in the gut. "What about you? Were you hurt?"

Emmett's wince told Bella all she needed to know. Renee and Charlie quickly corralled the children, who'd refused to leave his side even to do their dance – Mrs. Makenna had understood and ushered them after their parents – toward the snack table, telling them to load up a couple of plates for their dad. Bella twisted in her seat as her hands hovered all over Emmett, not wanting to land and hurt him.

"Where? Where are you hurt? _Dammit,_ Emmett! Why didn't you say something earlier?"

He soothed her quietly and tugged her closer, resting their foreheads together and joining their hands on her lap. "I'm fine, darlin', I promise. I honestly wasn't thinkin' about it earlier. All I wanted was to hold you and see our little soldiers."

Nauseated, Bella shook her head and felt a tear roll over her cheek. " _Where_ , Emmett?"

He huffed and pulled back, gingerly pointing to his thigh with their joined hands.

"What h-happened?"

A million thoughts were racing through Bella's head. Scary scenarios and things that might have caused an injury. Now she was looking right at it, his left thigh _did_ seem a little thicker, like it was padded out.

When her eyes darted up to meet Emmett's, Bella felt her heart sink. She'd seen that expression before. "You were…you were _shot_?"

Grimacing, Emmett nodded and rushed to explain, "It was a through-and-through, darlin'. No infection, no major damage. It'll heal before you know it. It's already a ton better than it was."

Seeing Emilia skipping back toward them with Mac, Teddy, and their grandparents in tow, Bella sucked in a deep breath and tried to shove Emmett's injury to the back of her mind – shelving it for the time being. "Show me later, please."

Looking both relieved that Bella was dropping it and worried she'd continue the conversation later, Emmett plastered a smile on his face and managed to hide a wince when Emilia bounced up onto his lap. Earlier, Bella had been too overwhelmed to notice that he was favoring his bad leg; now, it was incredibly obvious as he carefully adjusted their daughter to sit on his good leg as she fed him sausage rolls and chips.

Still, after a little while watching him with their children, Bella felt her annoyance beginning to ebb. After all, she was one of the lucky ones. She had her soldier home, albeit injured, when a lot of people weren't so fortunate.

 **~ oOo ~**

" _It's cold outside, like I've never know  
I hold you knowing, I have to let you go."_

Emmett squeezed Bella harder, swaying carefully with her wrapped in his arms, mindful of his wounded leg. It stung a little when he put his weight on it, so he tried to remember not to. If Bella saw even the hint of a wince she'd make him sit back down and he was enjoying having her in his arms far too much for that.

Jamie Lawson serenaded them as they stuck near the edge of the dancefloor in their own little bubble. All the performances were over in the room next door, so the crowd was much larger now. From their spot, they could see Mac trying to teach Charlie to breakdance, Teddy playing with Samuel, and Emilia singing to Leah's bump while she and Jake looked on with wide smiles.

As they turned on the spot, Bella smiled against Emmett's chest at the sight of her baby girl cooing at Leah's unborn baby.

She didn't realize Emmett was watching the same thing until he murmured, "Let's have another baby."

Stunned, it took a moment for Bella to process his words.

" _What?_ " She finally cried, pulling back to stare up at him with wide eyes. He was grinning nonchalantly, his eyes happy and bright, his double-dimpled smile filling her body with warmth even as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

He shrugged, nodding toward Emilia. Bella's eyes followed the motion to the adorable sight, but, "I don't want to do it all alone again. I _can't_ do it alone again, Em."

The words killed her, but it was true. She'd been alone giving birth to both Teddy and Emilia, and the thought of doing it alone for a third time with three older children to take care of was just heartbreaking. The idea of having another baby with his or her daddy's dimpled smile and wild curls filled her with joy, and it broke her heart to say 'no.'

Expecting him to look hurt, Bella was confused to see Emmett's smile only widened. "Do you remember what I said when I left the last time? About being too old for this shit?"

Frowning, Bella nodded. "Of course, I remember."

"In eight months, I'll be forty. Mac turns ten this year, Teddy will be starting soccer, and my little princess Emilia Belle is starting kindergarten." Emmett breathed a wistful sigh, caressing Bella's cheek with one large hand. "And you, my little darlin', get more and more beautiful every damn day. I don't want to miss a single second of any of it, Bella. I've missed so much over the years. First breaths, first birthdays, first steps, first words…swim meets, nativity plays, seeing _you_ singing your heart out up there on the stage…I've let you all down and missed _so damn much_."

In more than twelve years together, Bella had never seen Emmett so visibly perturbed by all the things he'd missed out on, but he was right – he _had_ missed an awful lot. Sure, there were photos and videos and stories she could share, but Bella would be lying if she said she wasn't sad that Emmett hadn't been there to share those memories with her in person.

Breathing out shakily, Emmett ducked his head to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm done, darlin'. This was my last deployment. I've filed the retirement paperwork. I mean, it'll take a year or so, but this was my last tour."

It abruptly felt as though all the air had been sucked from the room. Bella's chest felt tight and her heart raced as she blinked slowly, staring at Emmett as she willed his words to be true, swilling them around her brain.

 _This was my last deployment. My last deployment. Last deployment…_

"I'm never leaving you guys again, darlin'. I mean, I'll have to stay in the apartment in Sequim until everything's sorted, but that's— _omph—_ "

Bella cut him off with her lips. Mindful of his leg, she did one neat jump and hoisted herself up with her hands on his shoulders, looping her legs around his waist and stealing the breath from his lungs with her eager kisses.

In the very back of her mind, Bella thanked her mom for talking her into a red jumpsuit. She'd have been flashing an awful lot if she'd gone for the dress she originally picked out.

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she panted, peppering his entire face with butterfly kisses when they had to break apart to catch their breath.

Emmett chuckled breathlessly and squeezed her thighs, his eyes dark with want but teary with happiness. "No, thank _you_ for putting up with this, with _me_ , for all these years. When I rocked up at the diner twelve years ago, I was expecting a reasonable cup of coffee and then to go on my merry way."

Bella couldn't help but smile and laugh at the thought of their younger selves.

"Instead, I not only got a cracking cup of joe, but I also got the most beautiful woman in the whole damn world. I got a lifetime of smiles, cuddles, love, and our amazing life."

Love swelled inside Emmett as he gazed into his wife's eyes and saw twelve years of memories flying behind them. She was perfect, and she deserved better than months of being a single parent and having to constantly fear for his life.

"When you gave me our first son and wanted to name him after my past, my home state, I thought you were crazy." Emmett's eyes danced toward Texas, or Mac as he'd been dubbed –while Bella was pregnant Baby McCarty had been shortened to Mac, which had stuck even after he arrived – but Bella's remained trained on his face.

"I didn't get why you wanted to celebrate my past when we were heading headlong into our future, but I get it now. Our past defines so much of our present, and without it, we wouldn't have our future." His smile was nostalgic as he thought of Mac's birth, and how Bella had been so strong throughout her grueling labor. He remembered thinking how brave she was, but she hadn't shown him anything yet.

"Then you had to have Teddy and Emilia Belle while I was away, and I was just _awed_ at how strong you were. All this time, you've been giving me so much and I've selfishly been leaving it all behind to go play hero."

"Emmett, honey," Bella cried quietly, stroking his face. "You're not selfish, not one bit. There isn't a bad bone in your body. I won't pretend it hasn't been hard, but we're all so very proud of you and all you've done. In my eyes and the children's, you're so much more than just 'playing hero.'" She smiled, wiping a stray tear from her husband's cheek. "Lieutenant Colonel Emmett McCarty, you're _our hero_ , and we'll be honored to have you home to stay from here on out."

Excitement fizzed through her veins as she carefully dropped back to the floor, stretching up to plant one last kiss on his lips before pulling back with a twinkle in her eyes and the widest of smiles. "Let's go tell our little soldiers, hmmm?"

With dimples book-ending his beaming grin, Emmett nodded. "Hooah, Ma'am."

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **December 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2017 – The following day…**_

 _There's someone in my bed._

Bella's first thought was that Teddy had snuck into her room again.

Then, she remembered.

 _It wasn't a dream. Emmett's home._

Bella closed her eyes as a sleepy smile spread across her face, her hand searching him out.

The warmth of Emmett's body drew her in; Bella rolled quickly and tucked herself neatly against Emmett's chest, draping her leg over his and curling as tight into him as possible. He hummed in his sleep, holding her closer. He smelled like his own citrus body wash and _home_ , and Emilia's strawberry children's perfume clung to his skin thanks to her inability to let go of him after he explained to the children that he was never again leaving for so long. He smelled like a fruit bowl, thanks to the odd citrus-strawberry combination.

Peering over at the window, Bella could see that it was still dark out; the clock on the bedside cabinet read 4:32, so she yawned and snuggled into her husband, content and falling back to sleep easily with his comforting presence cocooning her.

 **~ oOo ~**

What didn't feel like a minute later, Bella woke again to the feeling of eyes on her and a presence in the room.

She woke slowly, recognizing the gaze roaming up her body from her toes to her now-smiling face without needing to open her eyes. After their love-making in the early hours of the morning, Bella had foregone putting clothes on, so she could feel the burn of Emmett's eyes as they lit her skin and warmed her from the inside-out.

"Are you going to stand in the doorway all morning?" she finally breathed.

"Maybe," Emmett chuckled, his voice low as he admitted, "I'm just enjoying the view."

The sudden sting of tears forced Bella's eyes open. They flew straight to Emmett leaning in the doorway and were surprised to find him dressed. In a simple long-sleeved, white thermal shirt that clung to his pecs and biceps in all the right ways, and his favorite pair of worn blue jeans he looked every bit the ordinary dad. He'd been up long enough to trim back his beard, but to Bella's immense pleasure, he'd left just enough to frame his relaxed, double-dimpled grin – enough that Bella knew it would feel perfect on her skin when he kissed _that spot_ on her neck, the one that made her shiver and him chuckle because he played it perfectly to get himself out of trouble.

He was even wearing slippers, Bella noted with a giddy grin. He was a long way away from the rigid soldier she'd waved off a little over eleven months ago.

"Ditto, Bear," Bella finally drawled in a poor imitation of his southern accent.

Emmett's chuckle was music to her ears as he tilted to lean in the doorway, hands in his pockets, wicked smirk on his face. "Mrs. McCarty, you know what it does to me when you talk that way," he reminded her.

Bella felt her heart skip a beat, blood rushing faster through her veins. She knew _exactly_ what it did to him; in fact, she'd been counting on it.

But it wasn't to be, because just a second later, they both heard the soft pattering of footsteps in the hall followed by an excited squeal.

"Daddy! You'uh weally home!"

Bella quickly yanked the covers up over her body.

"I sure am, Miss Emilia Belle," Emmett agreed, scooping her into his arms and smooching all over her face. "Is that okay with you?"

Bella quickly snatched her cell from the end table, snapping a few pictures of Emmett and his princess. She was dressed in pink camo footie pajamas, of course, and her hair was a wild chocolate mess of her daddy's curls, but the sight of her cradled in her daddy's arms was just beyond adorable. He was broad and built, and all six-foot-three of him absolutely worshiped his Emilia Belle – he'd always refused to call her just 'Emilia.' She'd been Emilia Belle since the day she was born and Bella had managed to video call him a few hours after her birth, once they'd gotten in touch with his commanding officer. Just as everybody told her, Emilia was Bella made over, just with her daddy's eye color and dimples.

"Do you think Mama needs Christmas snuggles, too?" Emmett whispered loudly, smirking at Bella when Emilia scrambled down and threw herself onto the bed, wiggling her little body up to lay over Bella's torso.

Resting her chin in her tented hands, Emilia grinned toothily. "Mewwy Chwistmas, Mama."

"Merry Christmas, sweetie," Bella sighed, peppering her face with kisses. "Are your brothers up?"

"Nah. Mac and Teddy still sweepin'." She had a cheeky little smile on her face as she asked, "Tan we go open pwesents afore they get up?"

" _Before_ they get up, Princess," Emmett murmured, joining his girls on the bed. "Actually, I have a special present for all of you. Do you want to go get them, so we can go downstairs and find it?"

Emmett ignored Bella's curious look and focused on Emilia as she eagerly bounced off the bed and tore down the hall, yelling her brothers' names.

"What have you done, Bear?"

Shaking his head with an impish grin, Emmett mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Then, he stood up and tossed Bella's favored nightshirt toward her.

Snorting and reminding herself that her husband was nothing if not stubborn about keeping his secrets until he was ready to share them, Bella tugged the Seahawks jersey over her head and climbed out of bed, pulling on a pair of fresh underwear before twisting her hair back into a messy bun, piling it on top of her head just as Emilia dragged her bleary-eyed brothers to the doorway.

"Got 'em, Daddy!"

"Merry Christmas, boys," Emmett laughed.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy," Teddy yawned, rubbing his eyes with a balled-up fist.

"Yeah, merry Christmas, Dad. Lia says you wanted us to get up for a special present?" Mac asked, his tone slightly more upbeat than that of his younger brother. Bella couldn't help but smile at him; he always had loved getting presents.

"All right, all right. Come on, then. Let's go see what Santa has brought you."

"But, Dad, Santa doesn't—"

Emmett squeezed Mac's shoulder as they all headed out onto the upstairs landing together. "Don't, buddy," he told him with a pointed look at Emilia and Teddy.

Mac shrugged, his grin widening.

Finally, they made it to the bottom of the stairs. In the foyer, Emmett told the kids to wait for a moment, shooting Bella a wink and telling her to wait with them before disappearing into the living room.

Emilia bounced beside her, beaming when Bella brushed her hair back from her face and told her to take a deep breath before she exploded with excitement.

"But I'm so 'cited, Mama! I'm gonna fwoat away wike Mr. Fwedewickson in his bawoon house!"

Bella smiled, shaking her head. Emilia had gone through a phase of being totally obsessed with the movie _Up_. She even had Mr. Frederickson – the main character –, Douglas the dog, and Kevin stickers on the walls of her bedroom wall.

"Here, I'll hold you, so you don't float away, Lia," Teddy offered, clasping their hands with a silly, sweet smile. Bella quickly snapped a photo and still had her phone in her hands to capture the shocked, mile-wide smiles on the faces of their three children when Emmett appeared in the doorway with their surprise cradled in his hands.

"Emmett…" Bella breathed, partly a warning, partly a question, because she couldn't believe he'd done something so momentous without asking her first.

" _Ohmygosh_ , a puppy! Daddy, it's a puppy!" Emilia's voice was so high-pitched Bella was sure it was close to being able to shatter glass.

"Calm down, Princess," Emmett murmured, kneeling in front of his children as they bounced and cooed over the small bundle of fur.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Teddy asked, petting the puppy's fluffy head.

"A boy."

"What kind is it?"

"He's an Australian shepherd. He's only six weeks old, so he's a bit too little to be away from his mama just yet, but she got poorly so he needed someone to take care of him and help him grow. Do you think we know anybody who's up to the job?"

Even as stunned as she was, Bella managed a laugh when Mac, Teddy, and Emilia all begged for the job.

"But, you've gotta ask the boss. It's up to her, after all."

 _Oh, Jesus._ _I should have known this was coming._

"Kids, I…"

Mac, Teddy, and Emilia spun in unison, all turning their wide eyes on her.

Their wide, begging eyes.

Bella sighed and crouched in front of them, doing her best not to let her eyes roam over to the squirming puppy in her husband's arms. She wasn't made of stone, after all. "Kids, puppies are a lot of work at the best of times. This puppy is really little, so he'll need extra hard work and a lot of time and attention."

"That's okay, Mama, we'll help. Won't we?" Teddy nudged his brother and sister.

"Sure! We'll do all the work. You won't have to do a thing," Mac promised, crossing his heart.

Emilia nodded quickly. "We'll wook after him, Mama. Pwease tan we keep him?"

" _Oh, God_ ," Bella mumbled under her breath, looking between the faces of her three expectant children.

 _He'll pee everywhere until he's potty trained._

 _He'll chew my shoes and the kids' toys._

 _Walks are a huge commitment with three children all in various clubs – especially a high-energy dog like an Aussie._

 _Mac, Teddy, and Emilia will probably get bored in three weeks and I'll be the one taking care of him by myself._

 _Emmett may be retiring, but the dog will be over a year old by then. I'll already have had to put all the work in._

 _Dogs are expensive. Collars, leashes, toys, food, vet bills, insurance…_

Suddenly, Bella thought of her own childhood. She'd been blessed with a beautiful golden retriever – Sparky – and had loved every second of taking care of him, taking him for walks, and attending training classes with him once she was old enough.

Looking at her children, at the hope written all over their faces, how could Bella refuse them the same joy? The same opportunity to learn responsibility and have their own canine best friend?

Her long sigh was answer enough. Mac, Teddy, and Emilia leapt on their mama and showered her with their gratitude and kisses before turning back to the puppy as Emmett set him on the floor and pulled Bella into his arms. The children and their puppy tumbled all over each other on the floor, the rest of their gifts stacked around the tree now forgotten.

"Thank you, darlin'," Emmett murmured, his words vibrating over her skin as he brushed a kiss to the side of her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her in close so their bodies were pressed together.

A shiver danced up Bella's spine. "You didn't really give me a choice," she reprimanded him without any strength, her brain focusing on the soft pressure of his lips against her skin. "I couldn't say 'no' once you'd brought him in here, could I?"

Emmett chuckled, completely unrepentantly. "No, I guess not." Sighing happily, he called out to the kids, "So, what are we calling the little guy, soldiers?"

The children wore matching looks of concentration as they sat on the floor, the puppy chewing his tail in the middle of their small triangle formation.

"Pwincess!" Emilia declared triumphantly.

Mac and Teddy shared a look of amusement before erupting with laughter.

"No, Lia," Teddy cackled. "He's a _boy_. He can't be called 'Princess.'"

Emilia look put-out; her lower lip protruded as she frowned and petted the puppy. "Oh. Pwince? Dats for a boy."

"That's too prissy, Lia," Mac told her gently. "He needs to have a tough name. Like 'Killer,' or 'Brutus,' or something."

Bella smiled and shook her head. This debate could go on for hours if she didn't curb it now. Plus, she was aware they'd all slept in, and Renee and Charlie were due over shortly. "Why don't we go open some presents and think about it for a little while?"

"Otay, Mama," Emilia conceded, charging into the living room toward her stack of gifts with Teddy and Mac hot on her trail, closely followed by the fluffy ball of fur who would temporarily be known as 'Puppy' until they could decide on a proper name.

 **~ oOo ~**

Hours later, Emmett carried an enormous turkey to the table to cheers and cries of appreciation.

"Well, shit, son!" Charlie exclaimed, immediately fishing a trio of dollars from his wallet and handing them to his gleeful grandchildren – the swear jar had been filled and emptied since he arrived almost a week ago. "How many people are you planning to feed?"

Emmett laughed, setting down the bird with a dramatic flourish. "I've been away a long time, Charlie, and I've been looking forward to Bella's leftover sandwiches for even longer."

The kids hummed at the mention of leftover sandwiches while Bella just smiled. She'd always hated wasting food, so after Christmas and Thanksgiving she always made what had been dubbed 'leftover sandwiches,' which were basically thick slabs of sourdough filled with all the best parts of a traditional festive meal. Nothing was excluded, and everyone who'd ever tried one raved about them.

"Do you want to carve?"

Charlie shook his head, waving at Emmett. "You've definitely earned the privilege, son. This is your show."

So, Emmett carved up the turkey while Bella and Renee filled everybody's plates with vegetables. By the time everyone had a large helping of meat to go with their broccoli, potatoes, carrots, mashed turnip, peas, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, the kids were desperate to tuck in.

"Can we eat now, Mama?" Teddy begged, knife and fork in hand.

"One second, buddy," Emmett murmured. Gazing around at his family – at Renee and Charlie, who'd travelled from Utah to spend the holidays with his family, so they wouldn't be alone while he was away; at his children, who were sweet, kind, and a complete testament to their mama; and Bella, the light and love of his life, so very strong and beautiful and forgiving – Emmett couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.

The only person missing at the table was his beloved Maggie May, who'd passed away a few days after Emmett returned from deployment the year Emilia was born. He could only feel thankful that she'd hung on long enough to see him settled and a parent to three wonderful children.

"Charlie, Renee…you welcomed me into your family without a second thought, and you've supported my family when I haven't been able to do so myself. I'll never be able to thank you enough for all you've done for me, and for us."

Renee sniffled, a few tears gathering on her lashes as she waved him off. "Don't be silly. You were always meant to be a part of our family, Emmett. You're one of us."

Charlie nodded, murmuring, "Hear, hear."

Emmett sucked in a deep breath, his eyes dancing between Mac, Teddy, and Emilia – all of whom looked confused at why they weren't getting to tuck into the delicious feast spread in front of them. "Mac, Teddy, Emilia Belle, you know Daddy loves you, right?"

They nodded in unison, matching dimpled smiles taking over their faces.

"Of course, Dad," Mac promised, glancing at his siblings before adding, "We love you, too."

Humming happily, content in the knowledge that his babies knew how much they were loved, Emmett turned to a teary-eyed Bella at his side. Taking one of her hands from her lap and twining their fingers, Emmett huffed a sigh. To know that he wasn't going to have to go on deployment again, that he was going to be four hours away from his home maximum for the foreseeable future, made Emmett heartbreakingly happy.

Way back when they were married, Emmett had promised to put their future family above all else. They'd known that his current term with the army was due to be up in three years, and had planned to wait until then to try for their longed-for first child. Falling pregnant with Mac five days before their first wedding anniversary had been a massive shock, but not finding out until she was already eleven weeks along was even more surprising.

They'd bumbled along and worked out their new 'normal' when Mac turned them into a family of three years before when they'd expected it to happen, and had just settled into a working routine when it happened.

Emmett was in Iraq, just a few months shy of being free to leave the army, when his team were implored to re-up to continue their mission. Everything within him had been screaming 'no…' except the rest of his team had agreed. He'd been with them for five years by then; they were more like family than comrades. Duty to Bella and baby Mac had warred with his duty to his team, and after explaining the situation to Bella, they'd agreed that he should finish the job. It was heart-breaking to hear Bella sniffling through the phone when she'd told him he couldn't abandon his team. Emmett had felt like absolute shit for it, and for the past six years, he'd been counting down the days, weeks, and months until he could retire for real and devote the rest of his life to his wife and babies. Though he hadn't regretted the decision to commit to his comrades and see the mission out, Emmett had regretted missing those precious moments with his family.

Of course, Bella had forgiven him for it. He'd been petrified of her reaction when he returned after that tour, but she'd run right into his arms and kissed him silly right there in the arrivals terminal at SeaTac. Every decision he'd ever made, she'd supported him wholeheartedly.

"Bella, you're so very brave and you've given everything to let me do what I felt I had to. You've been here, raising our children and taking care of our home so that I'd have something to come home to, and I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am."

Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks even as she smiled and dashed them away. "Bear…"

"I love you, darlin'. I love _all_ of you. I just…" He huffed. "I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for you all, and I can't wait to spend my retirement making up for lost time."

There were tears spilling over Renee's and Bella's cheeks, Charlie's eyes threatening the same, when Teddy coughed uncomfortably and pointed under the table.

His following words thoroughly eradicated the somber mood.

"Uh, Daddy, Puppy's had an accident under the table…"

 **~ oOo ~**

"I can't believe he sh— _uh_ , pooped, under the table," Charlie snorted, nursing his whisky on the rocks and shooting a quick look at the children bundled in the teepee at the other end of the porch. Bella and Renee had bundled them in coats, hats, and blankets, letting them 'camp out' with their flask of warm hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. It was an unseasonably mild evening, so they were all out on the porch sweating out their enormous meal.

Emmett and Bella had claimed the swing seat, while Renee and Charlie were sharing a blanket on the wicker loveseat opposite.

Emmett shook his head with an amused chuckle, squeezing Bella when she fake-gagged at his side. "Accidents happen when you're housetraining, Charlie. You should remember with Frankie, there. He was a nightmare."

All eyes swiveled over to Frankie the beagle, who was busy teaching the as-yet unnamed puppy to dig in Bella's snowy flowerbeds. She was too happy, too high on life, to scold them.

"Damn right, he was! Little shi— _er_ , _rascal_ , just about drove me mad!"

They all laughed at that. There was no doubt that Frankie had been a strong-willed, delinquent puppy. He was much better now, but there was a point when Bella had heard nothing but bad things about the feisty dog.

"Has your fluffball got a name yet?" Renee asked teasingly, watching said fluffball attempt to climb the porch steps. Bella quickly got up to help him, carrying him back over to the swing seat and tucked him safely into her coat. His tiny nose was cold and wet as he burrowed it into her neck, but she let him huddle there to warm up and gently stroked his small head.

Offering her a triumphant grin, because he'd told her she'd be falling for him before the day was out, Emmett murmured, 'not yet.' "We're still playing around with a bunch of names."

Conversation varied between what Emmett was going to do when his retirement came around – possibly work at the diner part-time, seeing as Bella spent her days there when the kids were at school or pre-school anyway – and when they were next heading out to New York to see Emmett's brother, Edward, and his family.

Eventually, the children were tired and cold, so they stole their puppy back from Bella, kissed their parents and grandparents goodnight, and traipsed upstairs to Teddy's room, which was the biggest, for a Christmas slumber party. Bella kissed Emmett on the cheek and followed them to make sure teeth were brushed and the puppy wasn't being manhandled.

Tucking the three of them into Teddy's bed, Mac and the puppy at one end while Teddy and Emilia shared the other, Bella kissed each of their heads, laughing at herself when she automatically included the puppy.

"Ooh! We thought of a name, Mama!"

Smiling, Bella asked, "What is it?"

Her children shared proud but sleepy smiles. "Well, you know how I'm 'Colonel,' Teddy's 'Major,' and Lia's 'Lieutenant?' We thought 'Cadet' would be good."

Bella looked down at the sleeping puppy. He was gray and white with splodges and speckles of tan – blue merle, by definition. Cadet.

"'Cadet' sounds perfect," came a voice from the doorway. Bella smiled as warm strong hands came to rest on her waist; she stood up and slotted herself neatly beneath Emmett's arm. "Now, little soldiers, bed time. Sweet dreams, all right?"

"Yes, Daddy," they chorused. Kisses were handed out, then Bella and Emmett made their way back downstairs to join Renee and Charlie after switching on the night light and leaving the door cracked.

Before they could step out of the screen door, Emmett tugged Bella to a stop and lifted her to sit on the counter. She wrapped her legs around him, resting her locked ankles over his lower back and looping her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Not that Emmett was complaining.

He lived for close contact; he loved nothing more than having their bodies pressed together, their breath mingling and the scent of her perfume filling his head. His hands roamed over her body, sneaking up into her jacket to caress her stomach with tender, soft touches.

Bella immediately knew where his mind had wandered. With their foreheads pressed together, her eyes open to his closed eyelids, Bella's lips curled upwards.

"Let's do it."

Emmett's brows drew inwards. "Do what?"

An almost delirious giggle escaped her lips. _Was she really about to say it?_ "Let's have another baby. My only real reason for saying 'no' was that I didn't want to do it all alone. Now you're retiring, I won't have to."

If Bella hadn't known it was the right decision before, she did as soon as Emmett pulled back wearing the widest, cheesiest double-dimpled grin she'd ever seen. The hope was clear as day in his eyes, boyish excitement written all over his face.

"You're serious? We can have another baby? Another Mac, Teddy, or Emilia?"

Memories of those early days with their babies flew through Bella's mind. Memories of seeing her broad, slightly intimidating to those who didn't know him, soldier cradling their tiny newborns; of seeing him soothe screaming fits with just a drawled, "Daddy's got you"; of seeing his complete and utter adoration of their children painted all over every inch of him every single day…they just confirmed that having another baby was the perfect decision.

"Yes, Bear. Let's have another little soldier."

Renee and Charlie came inside with Frankie hot on their heels when they heard Emmett's whoop of delight and Bella's ensuing squeals when he insisted on spinning her around with his hands on her waist, hers clamped on his shoulders for support.

When Emmett and Bella chose to keep their decision to try for another baby secret, instead telling them that they were just celebrating his homecoming, Charlie insisted on toasting. He opened a bottle of champagne and raised a glass with a proud grin aimed at his daughter and son-in-law; the others followed suit, raising their glasses and pausing to hear what he had to say.

"I…am no good at these things," he admitted ruefully. "Son, take over."

Emmett chuckled and shook his head at his father-in-law, pausing for a moment to think before shooting his wife an impish smile, his eyes heating at the flush of her cheeks and the twinkle in her eyes.

"Here's to homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expect it."

* * *

 **There we have it. Emmett's home and he's not going anywhere fast, which is something you all wondered about.**

 **Judy - I didn't want to spoil anything by addressing your question before now, but I hope this explains why he re-upped even when he had a family. It isn't the choice everyone would make, but that's what he decided :)**

 **You'll (hopefully) be pleased to hear that I'm already working on an epilogue and futuretake of sorts, which will likely be posted New Years Eve/Day, I'm not 100% sure. Also, for those of you who have asked - YES, I will be writing more Emmett stories. I'm a little addicted, I've got to say.**

 **Thank you again for being so wonderful. Eat, drink, and be merry this festive season, and I'll look forward to seeing you again in the future! xo**


	11. Epilogue

**Happy New Year!  
**

 **So, this little tale has come to an end. I never expected it  
to get this long - I planned maybe three chapters - or to be  
this well received. I'm so grateful to each and every one  
of you who shared it, talked it up, read, and reviewed. I sucked  
majorly at getting review responses out like I promised, so I  
wrote a longer epilogue than planned as an apology *sheepish smile*  
Please know though that I read each and every one and I appreciate  
you taking the time to share your thoughts with me more than I can  
express!**

 **I'd like to say a MAHOOSIVE thank you to** annaharding **, who  
has worked her butt off on this over the holidays and sat up late  
on NYE to look this over for me because I made so many last-minute  
changes. There's a little gift in here for you. I'm relying on your OCDness  
to help you spot it, because I only added it in after you did your thing ;)**

 **So...there it is. I've loved this journey, these characters, and I may just have  
to do a few futuretakes or someting because I just love them too darn much  
to leave it here! I won't make any promises for now, because I have  
Promises To Keep and Neapolitan begging for attention, but keep me and  
this on alerts, just in case :)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it._

 **Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

 _ **January 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2029**_

"This is bullshit."

Bella smiled weakly and squeezed the fingers twined with hers. "He'll be here any minute." Her eyes returned to the board on the wall nearby for what had to be the millionth time. "It says the plane has landed."

A grumpy harrumph was the only response she received, but Bella understood all-too-well. She'd spent twelve years doing this.

Seven times in those twelve years, she'd stood in this exact terminal with her heart in her throat and a sick, panicky feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Seven times she'd stood and waited for the 'pending' to change to 'landed' on the board.

Seven times she'd waited anxiously for the rush of disembarking passengers.

For Emmett.

Bella sucked in a deep breath and tilted her head up and to the side.

This time, Emmett was standing beside her.

His brows were furrowed, his blue eyes dark and stormy, and as Bella squeezed their joined hands again, he managed the smallest of smiles.

"I love you, Bear," she whispered.

"I love you, too, darlin'," Emmett sighed. He raked a hand through his curly hair, which had begun to gray at the temples, and pulled Bella against his chest for a hug that reeked of his desperation and anxiety. "How the hell did you do this for all those years, darlin'?"

" _Is he here already? Did we miss him?"_

" _Calm down, sweetpea," Renee soothed, hugging her daughter hard. "He'll be here any minute. He texted you when he landed, didn't he?"_

 _Bella chewed on her lip and nodded. "Yeah…" There were plenty people heading toward her and Renee at the arrivals area, but none of them were the cargo-sporting, six-four, curly-haired, and dimpled-smiling soldier she was waiting for._

 _It had been the longest ten months of her life, waiting for Emmett to return from his first deployment since they became official. There had been sporadic video calls, a multitude of letters, and a few texts here and there, but nothing beat the knowledge that they were on the same continent for the first time in almost a year._

 _Renee had been staying with Bella for the past week, both to keep her company and to stop her going stir-crazy in the final few days of separation, because she knew all-too-well what this was like. She'd spent over twenty years living the life her daughter had now chosen by falling in love with a soldier just like her Phil._

 _Anxiety and anticipation sent Bella's heart galloping, her lungs suddenly too small as the doors ahead of her opened and a man in a wheelchair was pushed into the arrivals hall._

Oh God…they're here _, Bella thought. Her wide, already-teary eyes searched every face as they came through the doors._

 _Red-haired teen. Blonde businesswoman. Family of four decked out in Disney gear. Hen party._

 _Soldier…_

 _There weren't words to describe the sheer, overwhelming relief of seeing him._

 _Emmett was clean-shaven and his hair was short – in the preferred high-and-tight style worn by all military men on duty – and he looked utterly delicious in his combats as he loped toward her. He didn't see Bella right away, but she could see his eyes searching as they scanned along the row of waiting people._

 _A jolt of electricity flew through Bella's veins when his gaze finally found her._

 _Nothing and nobody else existed in those moments as he stalked toward her like a lion hunting its prey._

Bella shook her head and huffed. She hadn't thought of those early days in their relationship for a while. With their brood of children and hectic schedules, especially at this time of year, her mind had been far too busy.

But it was _that_ feeling, of overwhelming joy and relief, that got Bella through the waiting each time Emmett had been deployed.

"I don't know how you did it," Emmett grumbled when Bella tried to explain. "It's fuckin' killin' me."

"Ooh, Daddy! You gotta pay the swear jar!"

Bella laughed at the sing-songy voice of their daughter as she skipped over, abandoning her siblings to hold out her palm with a happy little grin – her daddy's dimpled smile made over in a miniature of her mama's heart-shaped face.

Emmett huffed and crouched, fishing through the thigh pocket of his cargo pants before handing a dollar to his proud daughter. "Here ya go, Princess Sadie. You're a little ballbuster, just like your mama, did you know that?"

Sadie flashed her daddy another beaming grin, looking between her parents. "That's what Mama always says," she agreed, stuffing the dollar into the chest pocket of her overalls. Emmett may call her 'Princess,' but Sadie was far from girly.

A year to the day after Emmett's surprise return from deployment, he and Bella had done away with her contraceptive pill and begun trying for their fourth baby. Just a month later, they were sitting on their bed crying over a positive pregnancy test, and a month after that they were slack-jawed at the doctor's office as she gleefully informed them that they were having twins.

Several months later, the gang crowded around a hospital bed to welcome their newest little soldiers – Sadie Pam, Emmett's little ball-buster, and Christopher Jaden, Bella's cuddle-bug.

She was wild where he was calm, and Sadie had energy to burn even when Christopher was content to sit and read with his mama.

They were polar opposites in looks, too. Sadie had inherited her daddy's crazy blonde curls and bright blue eyes, while Christopher was a carbon copy of Bella with straight chocolate brown hair and coffee bean eyes to match.

"Ma? CJ needs the restroom."

Bella smiled at Teddy and blew him a kiss as he put his headphones back over his ears, the racket he was listening to audible as soon as she got within four feet of her now-seventeen-year-old son. He was never far from his beloved _Beats_ , some heavy beat always loud enough to be heard even without the headphones

Christopher offered her a shy half-smile as he ran a hand through his mop of dark hair. "Sorry, Mama."

At nine years old, Christopher hadn't let go of calling her 'mama' yet – neither had Sadie – and Bella adored it. She was very aware that her days of being 'Mama' rather than 'Ma,' which was what her eldest three children now called her unless they were in trouble, were numbered, so she was determined to soak up every last moment.

"All right, handsome. We're gonna make a mad run for it, okay?"

Christopher giggled and ran all the way to the restroom and back, hand-in-hand with his mama when they approached their family and she saw _him_ for the first time in over a year, tears beginning to pour over her cheeks.

"Mama, look!" Christopher breathed, bouncing on his feet.

Walking through the same doors Bella had watched Emmett walk through seven times, was his doppelganger.

At twenty, Mac was every bit his father's son, right down to the dimpled grin on his face when he spotted the crowd waiting for him.

Bella and Christopher joined Emmett, Sadie, and fifteen-year-old Emilia, just as Mac made it through the throng of disembarking passengers. He loped straight to his father, their embrace so sweet and so raw with emotion that Bella's eyes instantly overflowed with tears. They were almost identical in appearance but wore matching wet smiles as they pulled apart, Emmett clasping his son's shoulders as he whispered words gruffly, but softly enough that Bella couldn't hear them from a few feet away.

"Ma…"

Mac's voice was louder than all the other noises in the terminal, Bella's heart sprinting as his long legs ate up the space separating him from his mama. Before she knew it, his arms were tight around her, lifting her from the ground.

"Fuck, I've missed you, Ma," Mac choked into her hair, his hard grip not quite tight enough. Bella ran her hands up his back, then they fluttered over his clean-shaven face and came to rest on his chest when they finally stepped back from each other.

"My baby," Bella cried quietly, smoothing tears from Mac's cheeks as he sniffled a laugh and shrugged.

"The guys back on base would have a field day, right?" he chuckled ruefully, his eyes flitting all over Bella's face, cataloguing her appearance.

She'd changed, even just in the ten months he'd been away. She had a couple more lines by the sides of her eyes, a few more memories swimming in her gaze – memories he wouldn't be a part of because he'd been on the other side of the world getting shot at while they were being made.

Though incredibly proud to have enlisted and served for his country, Mac had questioned the emotional aspects of his decision to follow in his dad's footsteps many times, and this was one of them. Bella wouldn't say it, because she'd never said a bad word in front of him about Emmett's deployments, but Mac could see the sorrow in her eyes; her sadness at what he'd missed out on over the past almost-year was written all over her sad but smiling face. That said, he could also see her pride and love reflected back at him. They were also in the hug she gave him and the letters she'd sent every two weeks, even though they often took longer than that to arrive and usually turned up in clusters of two or three.

With a heavy sigh, Mac leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, grinning when she shuddered and squeezed him tight around the waist for a beat before stepping aside so his other anxious family members could greet him.

"I'm not even going to charge you for cussing," Christopher chortled, sidling over with his twin close behind.

"Did you bring us anything, big brother?" Sadie sang, leaping neatly into her big brother's arms when he crouched and opened them to her.

"I _did_ , actually," Mac said with a wink at his mama, pressing a kiss to Sadie's head before tugging Christopher over into their three-way hug. "But you'll have to wait 'til we get home, 'kay?"

Easily mollified, Sadie nodded and changed the subject, telling Mac all about her most recent dance recital then the picture she and Christopher had drawn which was now stuck to the fridge with a magnet Mac made in kindergarten. Once Teddy and Emilia had a chance to say 'hello' to Mac, the group turned to head back toward the van, so they could go home.

With a full-to-bursting heart, Bella corralled her family and herded them in the direction of the parking lot. As they walked together, she saw many eyes catch Mac's uniform.

She wondered if they saw what she did. She wondered if they saw her sweet, dimple-grinning, candy-stealing, moppy-haired little boy. Bella wondered if the people shooting him sad but grateful looks could see the tiny baby she'd once cradled in her arms and promised to protect with her life.

But, no.

Deep down, Bella knew that was just her nostalgic thoughts talking. The people staring at Mac as he strolled through the airport in his combats – Christopher hanging off his back like a spider monkey while Emilia clung to his side and hung off his every word – saw a soldier and little else. Sure, there were probably thoughts of pride and thankfulness, because everybody appreciated the sacrifice of a soldier, but only Bella could see the baby walking ahead of her playing dress-up in his daddy's uniform.

"Hey, darlin'," Emmett murmured, squeezing their joined hands as they walked side-by-side behind their children. "Are you okay?"

Bella sniffled and looked up at her husband. It was like looking at an older version of Mac. He'd even dressed the part, in a black t-shirt that clung to his biceps and a pair of faded combat trousers, complete with a pair of tan work boots.

"I've never been better. I've got my family all back together."

Emmett smiled, his dimples flashing as he gave her hand another squeeze. His eyes moved ahead to their children. Teddy was loping alongside his brother with Sadie clutching his hand, their arms swinging loose between them. Emilia was on Mac's other side, and Christopher had his head resting over Mac's shoulder as he headed up the group.

To their parents, it was the most beautiful sight in the world. All their five children reunited and within touching distance for the first time in ten months, as though Mac had never been away.

Mac didn't know it yet, but Renee and Charlie were back at the house along with Edward, Rosalie, and his cousins, Leah, Jake, and their brood, and some of his friends for a New Year's Day-slash-Welcome Home party. She, Emmett, and the kids had left them decorating, and they couldn't wait to see his face when he realized what was going on.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Uh, what's going on in here?" Bella asked with a smirk, joining Emmett in the doorway to the den. He'd called for her and was wearing a wide, dimple grin when she made it to him.

The party guests had long-since gone home, leaving the McCarty's to enjoy one another without the intrusion of the extra family members around, and Bella assumed all of the kids had gone to their beds while she finished tidying up all the mess from the party.

However, she was only partly right.

They _were_ in bed, but not their own.

Every year, the week before the kids returned to school, the entire clan headed into the Olympic National Park for a camping trip. They were always joined by Charlie and Renee, and occasionally had the Blacks tag along, too, but they had far more camping equipment than Bella knew what to do with. It wouldn't all fit in the garage as well as Emmett's _Jeep_ , Bella's SUV, and Mac's beloved _Wrangler_ while he was away, so she'd shoved some in the den to keep it from getting damaged.

Bearing that in mind, it shouldn't have surprised Bella to see her children utilizing it.

Christopher and Teddy had taken one of the double blow-up mattresses, while Emilia and Sadie were sharing the other. Mac had won the honor of sleeping on the fold-out bed normally reserved for Charlie and Renee's visits, but the sight of his duvet from his room upstairs draped over him brought tears to Bella's eyes.

 _My baby boy is home_.

"Ma," Mac whined softly. "Do you need another hug?"

"No, no," Bella sniffled, hastily brushing yet more tears from her cheeks. She felt like she'd been crying constantly, from the minute Emmett woke her and reminded her that they were going to get their boy to the second he'd walked through the airport doors. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Through her tears, Bella just about made out the impish grins on the faces of her children as they all scampered to their feet and charged her, calling, "Get her!" She somehow wound up bundled in the center of one of the air mattresses with all five of her offspring on top of her, their laughter and 'love you, Mama's like balm to her soul.

The flash of Emmett's cell taking a picture from the doorway garnered their attention, calling an end to the giggle-fits and bundling. Bella huffed a deep breath and tried to muster a faux-reproachful expression; she failed miserably, and only managed to make Mac, Teddy, Emilia, Sadie, and Christopher laugh instead.

"I love you, my babies," she finally sighed, pulling each of them closer to her by their faces so she could plant noisy kisses all over their cheeks.

Mac came to her last, his smile soft and sleepy as he pulled her into his side and pressed a kiss to her head.

"When did you get so big?" Bella asked quietly, leaning into him. No longer her baby, he towered over her even when sitting and could tuck her neatly beneath his arm. Teddy wasn't much smaller. In fact, he was arguably bigger – in height, at least. Though Mac had stopped growing a couple inches shorter than his dad's six-three, Teddy was easily as tall as Emmett, if not as broad like his brother.

And Emilia…Bella sighed, gazing at her daughter as Emilia adjusted Sadie's braid. She was now fifteen and growing more beautiful by the day. With intelligence beyond her years, her daddy's big blue eyes, and all the men in her family wrapped around her pinky, Emilia was going to go far, Bella had no doubt about that.

As for Christopher and Sadie…Bella couldn't believe her babies were going to be _ten_ this year. It felt like only yesterday she'd been bundled in gentle hugs and kisses from Mac, Teddy, and Emilia with Emmett cradling the newborn twins beside the hospital bed.

" _Mama!"_

 _Bella breathed a big sigh of relief, waving Emmett off when he shot her a worried look and started to remind the children not to jump on her. Mac, Teddy, and Emilia clambered onto her bed, the boys perching either side of her blanket-covered legs while Emilia sat over her shins._

 _Smiling at her three oldest children, Bella couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with love, but it was on Mac that her eyes and attention lingered. "I'm sorry about your party, baby," she murmured._

 _Mac shrugged with his daddy's dimpled grin, twiddling with the '11' badge pinned to his checked shirt. "S'okay. This is a really cool birthday present, anyway. You're not gonna be able to top it next year unless you have another baby."_

 _Mac had barely finished speaking when Bella and Emmett choked their 'no's in tandem, their children giggling at their faces._

 _Letting out a soft squeal, six-year-old Emilia asked, "Where are they? Where are our babies, Mama?"_

 _Emmett and Bella shared proud grins as he took a step to the side, revealing a clear plastic basinet containing two white-wrapped bundles of squirming pink babies._

" _Ooh, what kind are they?" Teddy asked with all his eight-year-old wisdom as he and his siblings scrambled off the bed to get a closer look at their new siblings. Mac hoisted Emilia onto his back, so she could see better, the trio all beaming as Emmett pointed to the baby with a blue cap first._

" _This is Christopher, your new brother. He's the baby of the family, because he was born nine minutes after Sadie, here, your new sister."_

 _Bella and Emmett knew to brace for Emilia's excited squeak – she'd been begging for a sister since before the twins had even been conceived._

The twins were now nearing a decade in age, and Bella wasn't sure what to make of it. Her baby-rearing days were over, her fifties now closer than forty, but as she gazed at her not-so-little babies all bundled together on the first day of 2029, her husband as handsome as ever leaning in the doorway, Bella couldn't help but feel grateful at all she had.

Her family was happy, healthy, and loved, and that was all she wanted as they moved into the new year.

Together.

* * *

 **I hope you all have a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous 2018.**

 **Much love, my little soldiers xoxo**


End file.
